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Constitution Amendment: Atiku writes Senate, seeks rotational presidency, others

Sulaiman Umar
03 Oct, 2024
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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has proposed a series of amendments to the 1999 Constitution, including the rotation of the presidential power among the six geopolitical zones of Nigeria.

A statement by his media office on Wednesday said Atiku made the proposals in a memorandum dated 30 August to the Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review.

The statement said the memorandum also contains recommendations like procedures for the educational qualification of candidate(s) in elections and internal democracy in political parties.

The presidential candidate of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 election seeks the amendment of Section 130 (1) of the constitution 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.”

He also wants the amendment of Section 135 (2) of the document 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.”

Similar proposals

Atiku’s proposals come about four months after some members of the House of Representatives proposed a bill to introduce rotation of the presidency between the North and the South as well as the creation of a second vice president.

The lawmakers, known as “The Reformers” led by Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo), said the proposals, if adopted, will reduce the cost of governance, among other benefits.

The 2014 National Conference also recommended similar power rotation. It also recommended that the governorship seat should rotate among the three senatorial districts in each of the 36 states.

The then administration of President Goodluck Jonathan did not implement the conference’s recommendations before it left office.

Atiku’s quest for the presidency

It is unclear if Atiku’s proposal for rotational presidency is meant to pave the way for him to occupy the nation’s topmost political office.

The quest by the Adamawa-born politician, who was vice president of the country between 1999 and 2007, has seen him show interest in the presidential seat as far back as 1992.

That year, Atiku sought to run for president on the platform of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP), later withdrew for Moshood Abiola, the presumed winner of the 1993 presidential poll.

He ran for president in 2007 on the ticket of the defunct Action Congress but lost to late President Umaru Yar’Adua.

Upon rejoining the PDP, Atiku contested the party’s presidential primary in 2011 but lost to President Jonathan. He lost the All Progressives Congress (APC) primary in 2014 to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Atiku was the candidate of the PDP in the 2019 and 2023 presidential elections but lost to former President Buhari and President Bola Tinubu, respectively.

Culled from Premium times