Nigeria’s Former Vice President Proposes Six-Year Rotational Presidency
In a move aimed at promoting national unity and balance, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has proposed a six-year single-term rotational presidency between Nigeria’s southern and northern regions. The proposal, contained in a letter to Deputy Senate President Jibrin Barau, who chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, seeks to amend the country’s constitution to ensure that the office of the President rotates among the six geopolitical zones of the Federation.
According to the letter, dated August 29, 2024, but only recently made public, Atiku wants paragraph ‘a’ of Section 130 (1) of the 1999 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 seeks to amend Section 135 (2) to read: “Subject to the provisions of subsection 1, the President shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of six years commencing from the date when he has been elected to such office before.”
Abubakar, who has run for president six times in the last 30 years, including in the 2023 election where he garnered 6,984,520 votes, behind winner Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who scored 8,794,726 votes. Tinubu was inaugurated as President on May 29, 2023.
The proposal is seen as a step towards addressing the country’s deep-seated regional and ethnic divisions, which have plagued its political landscape for decades. By rotating the presidency between the north and south, Atiku hopes to promote national unity and balance, and ensure that every region has an equal opportunity to produce the country’s leader.
The proposal is now before the National Assembly, where it will be considered as part of the ongoing constitutional amendment process. If approved, it could have significant implications for Nigeria’s political landscape, and potentially pave the way for a more inclusive and balanced government.
