Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar has written to the National Assembly, proposing a six-term rotational presidency in line with the ongoing effort to revise the 1999 Constitution.
Atiku’s proposal, which was addressed to the Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Barau Jibrin, and dated 30th August 2024, contains recommendations on procedures for the educational qualification of candidates in elections, internal democracy in political parties and rotation of presidential position among the country’s six geo-political zones.
Atiku’s media adviser, Paul Ibe, said in a statement that in the explanatory note covering the proposals, the former Vice President seeks to raise the standard of the educational qualification of political office seekers, an end to violent takeover of political parties and thereby strengthening internal structure of political parties, reducing the tendencies of political parties to breach the constitution, electoral act, rules and guidelines made thereunder, and the constitution of the political party.
“The implication of the above is that political parties are allowed a very wide latitude to breach the perimeter of laws on elections. Such indiscipline by political parties and infidelity to the electoral parameters yield chaos in the system. The above amendments will enthrone the discipline that is needed in a democracy,” Atiku stated.
Some of his recommendations are to 1) “Add paragraph “A” to section 130(1) to read – “the office of the president shall rotate among the six geopolitical zones of the federation on a single term of six years flowing between the North and South on the single term of six years respectively.
2) “Amend Section 135(2) to read – “subject to the provisions of the subsection (1), the President shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of six years commencing from the date. Amend Section 137(1)(b) to read – “he has been elected to such office before.”
