The House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected a constitutional amendment bill that would have established the principle of rotational presidency among Nigeria's six geopolitical zones, alongside six other proposed amendments to the 1999 Constitution.
During the plenary session presided over by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas, lawmakers voted against the bill which sought to formalize power rotation for the offices of President and Vice President among the North Central, North East, North West, South East, South South, and South West regions.
The House also rejected six other constitutional amendment bills that failed to pass second reading. These included:
- A bill to remove the powers of registration and regulation of political parties from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and transfer them to the Office of the Registrar General of Political Parties
- A bill to establish the Office of State Auditors-General for Local Governments and FCT Area Councils to strengthen fiscal oversight and accountability at the grassroots level
- A bill to increase the number of Federal High Court judges to not less than one hundred
- A bill to expand the jurisdiction of the Federal High Court to include admiralty matters, shipping and navigation on inland waterways
- A bill to empower the National Judicial Council to fix and review judicial officers' salaries and allowances in conjunction with the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission
- A bill to create Ughelli East Local Government Area in Delta State
According to reports, the bills were initially grouped together for voting, with lawmakers voting against the entire package. Following appeals by the chairman of the House Committee on Rules and Business, the bills may be reconsidered on Wednesday after several attempts at separate voting failed.
The rejection of the rotational presidency bill comes amid ongoing debates about power sharing and regional representation in Nigeria's political landscape, with various stakeholders advocating for formalized zoning arrangements to ensure equitable distribution of political power among the country's diverse regions.
