Constitutional amendment: Atiku proposes rotational presidency, 5-yr single tenure, others

With the commencement of another phase of review of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has forwarded to the committee a recommendation that the office of the president rotate among the six geopolitical zones of the federation on a single term of six years, flowing between the north and south.

Atiku’s proposals, addressed to the Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Barau Jibrin, and dated August 30, 2024, also contained recommendations that bordered on themes such as procedures for the educational qualification of candidate(s) in elections, internal democracy in political parties and rotation of presidential position among the six geo-political zones of the country.

In a document obtained yesterday, the former vice president said Section 135(2) of the constitution should be amended 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.

In the explanatory note covering the proposals, Atiku said the amendments sought in the review of the constitution were aimed at seeking to raise the standard of the educational qualification of political office seekers, and an end to violent takeover of political parties, thereby strengthening the internal structure of political parties.

Others are to reduce the tendencies of political parties to breach the constitution, the Electoral Act, rules and guidelines made thereunder, and the constitution of the political party.

He said: “The implication of the above is that political parties are allowed 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.”

He said that the recommendations he has put forth to the National Assembly for amendments in the country’s election laws were areas where there were pitfalls in the subsisting laws regulating elections in Nigeria.