The House of Representatives on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, rejected a bill that sought to amend the 1999 constitution to provide for the rotation of the offices of the president and vice president among the six geopolitical zones of the country.
The bill which was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon Benjamin Okezie Kalu was among the seven constitution amendment bills listed for second reading as listed on the House Order Paper for the day.
The bill was titled: “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Cap. C23, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Provide for the Principle of Rotation of the Offices of the President and the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria among the Six Geopolitical Zones of the Country, Namely: North Central, North East, North West, South East, South South, and South West and for Related Matters (HB. 2291)”.
Shortly after the House Leader read the titles of the seven constitution amendment bills to the House, the Deputy Speaker who presided over the plenary, opened the floor for contribution of lawmakers on the bills.
In his contributing, Hon Aliyu Madaki (NNPP, Kano), opposed the bill, stressing that what the bill was trying to address had been adequately covered by the constitution under the principle of federal character.
Madaki further argued that the issue of zoning of presidency should be left to individual political parties to decide, saying there was no need to enshrine such a provision in the constitution.
In his own contribution, Hon Ali Isah (PDP, Gombe), had a different point of view, adding however, that enshrining rotational presidency in the constitution would engender fairness and sense of belonging for all the geopolitical zones of the country.
Opposing the bill, Hon Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), said the proposed legislation is very injurious to the unity of the country, stressing that enshrining the principle of rotational presidency in the constitution would lead to the enthronement of mediocrity over competence.
According to Soli; “It could play up regional and ethnic interests over competency. It will encourage limited choice of people that can vie for the office and it will encourage regional rivalry which negates the spirit of unity”.
While trying to clarify the import of the Bill to Hon Soli, Hon Kalu dismissed the argument on the enthronement of mediocrity, stressing that every geopolitical zone of the country has competent and capable people that can occupy the offices of president and vice president.
Kalu explained that the essence of the bill was to ensure that every part of the country has the opportunity to contribute to the governance and development of the country.
Also contributing to the bill, Hon Shina Oyedeji said that the essence of democracy is all about healthy competition, adding that the inclusion of zoning clauses and regional sentiments negate democratic.
In his words; “Everybody should be given the chance to stand and contest an election in any given opportunity”.
Also opposing the bill, Hon Bello El-Rufai (APC, Kaduna), said enshrining the principle of rotational presidency in the constitution would lead to regional and ethnic rivalries given the multiplicity of ethnicities in the country.
After heated debates on the bill, the Deputy Speaker put it to a voice vote, majority of the lawmakers opposed voiced nays to put the bill in the thrash can.
