Members of the House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to rotate the offices of the President and Vice President among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The bill, which was one of seven constitutional alteration proposals listed for consideration, drew widespread opposition during debate, with lawmakers cautioning against enshrining such a principle in the Constitution. Despite the rejection, the House resolved to revisit each of the bills individually on Wednesday for further deliberation.
At the start of the session, the House had suspended its standing rules to allow members to debate any of the seven bills simultaneously. However, most lawmakers focused on the rotational presidency bill, which quickly became the most contentious.
Leading the opposition, Deputy Minority Leader Aliyu Sani Madaki argued that the principle of federal character already addresses the concerns of inclusivity. He warned that mandating rotation through constitutional means would be counterproductive and divisive.
Madaki stated that political parties already have internal mechanisms to ensure equitable distribution of political offices, and institutionalizing zoning in the Constitution would only open the door to further agitations.
Similarly, Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) described the proposal as well-intentioned but questioned whether it would compromise merit and leadership quality, warning it could deepen ethnic and regional tensions.
Shina Oyedeji (PDP, Oyo) echoed these concerns, saying constitutional zoning could trigger a new wave of tribal and state-level agitations. “If you adopt zoning and it comes to the South West, which state gets the ticket — Ogun or Oyo?” he asked.
Bello El-Rufai raised a hypothetical scenario where the President dies in office, questioning the implications on zoning continuity. He warned that such provisions could infringe on citizens’ rights and set a dangerous precedent.
Olumide Osoba (APC, Ogun) maintained that it would be inappropriate to constitutionally compel political parties to zone their candidates, even though the proposal might seem innovative.
On the other hand, Minority Whip Ali Isa supported the amendment, advocating for a rotational presidency to ensure fairness and national unity. He suggested that the principle should extend to state governorship, rotating among senatorial districts. He also called for the 2027 presidency to be zoned to the North East for the sake of balance.
Clement Jimbo (APC, Akwa Ibom) supported the bill, stating it would correct historical injustices against minority groups. He proposed a sunset clause to end the rotation principle once all six zones have had a turn at the presidency.
Other rejected bills include:
A bill to transfer the power to register and regulate political parties from INEC to the proposed Office of the Registrar-General of Political Parties.
A bill seeking to establish the Office of State Auditors-General for Local Governments and FCT Area Councils.
A bill to create Ughelli East Local Government Area in Delta State.
A bill to increase the number of judges at the Federal High Court to not less than 100.
A bill expanding the Federal High Court’s jurisdiction to include admiralty cases on the River Niger, Benue, and designated inland waterways.
A bill empowering the National Judicial Council (NJC), in conjunction with the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, to determine the emoluments of judicial officers and staff.
The House is expected to resume debate on these proposals on a clause-by-clause basis in its next sitting.
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