On Tuesday, Nigeria’s House of Representatives dismissed a constitutional amendment bill that proposed rotating the offices of the president and vice president among the country’s six geopolitical zones. Alongside this, six other constitutional alteration bills were also rejected during plenary.
The House had initially suspended its rules to consider all seven bills simultaneously, allowing members to debate any bill of their choice. However, the majority focused on the rotational presidency bill, which sparked intense opposition.
Deputy Minority Leader Aliyu Madaki led the resistance, arguing that the Federal Character Commission has already addressed the concerns the bill sought to remedy. He cautioned against embedding rotation in the constitution, stating, “issues the bill intend to cure has been addressed by the Federal Character Commission,” and that political parties already have mechanisms to ensure fair representation.
Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) described the proposal as “ingenuous” but questioned whether it might compromise quality in leadership. He warned the rotation principle could fuel regional and ethnic rivalries.
Shina Oyedeji (PDP, Oyo) expressed concerns that constitutionalizing zoning would trigger further agitations for fairness among states and tribes within zones, saying, “if you adopt zoning and it comes to the South West for example, which state will take the position? Is it Ogun or Oyo?”
Bello Mohammed El-Rufai highlighted potential complications if a president dies in office under such a system, referencing former President Umaru Musa Yar’adua’s death. He argued the provision would infringe on Nigerians’ rights to contest any office and warned, “Whatever you do in Nigeria, there will always be a cry of marginalisation. We should not engage in a dangerous precedent by putting it in the Constitution.”
Minority Whip Ali Isah supported the idea of rotation, advocating for fairness across all zones and even at state levels, commending the Deputy Speaker’s call for inclusivity in the 2027 presidency.
Clement Jimbo (APC, Akwa Ibom) emphasized the bill’s intent to address long-standing injustices against minority groups and suggested a sunset clause after all zones have had a turn.
Ultimately, the bill and the other six constitutional amendment proposals-including one to transfer political party registration powers from INEC to the Registrar General, and bills on local government audits and creation of new local government areas-failed to pass the second reading after a voice vote.
The House resolved to revisit these bills individually on Wednesday for further consideration.
