House of Representatives, on Tuesday, rejected a constitutional amendment bill seeking to rotate the offices of the president and vice president among the six geopolitics zones.
This bill, co-sponsored by the Speaker of the House, Abbas Tajudeen, and Francis Waive, was presented for second reading.
But it was voted down after a voice vote conducted by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Kalu, who presided over the plenary.
The bill on rotation, sponsored by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu, sought to establish the principle of rotation for the offices of the President and Vice President among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones: North Central, North East, North West, South East, South South, and South West.
Deputy Minority Leader, Aliyu Madaki, led the opposition to the bill, saying that issues the bill intend to cure has been addressed by the Federal Character Commission, warning that the issue of rotation should not be included in the constitution, but allowed to remain the way it is.
He argued that political parties already have mechanism to ensure fair representation at every given electoral period.
On his part, Shina Oyedeji (PDP, Oyo) said if the rotational principle holds, states and tribes in the regions will start agitations for fairness and justice.
He said: “If you adopt zoning and it comes to the South-West for example, which state will take the position? Is it Ogun or Oyo.”
For Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) the proposed alteration is ingenuous. However, he wondered whether it will work against the issue of quality, noting that adopting the rotation principle will not be in the interest of the country.
