The House of Representatives on Tuesday rejected a constitutional amendment bill that sought to rotate the offices of the President and Vice President among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Alongside the rotational presidency bill, six other proposed constitutional alteration bills were also voted down. However, the House resolved to revisit the bills individually on Wednesday for further consideration.
During debate, the majority of lawmakers focused on the rotation bill, with many warning it could set a dangerous precedent and fuel regional division. Deputy Minority Leader, Aliyu Madaki, opposed the bill, arguing that the Federal Character principle already ensures equitable representation and that political parties have internal mechanisms to promote fairness.
Rep. Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) called the proposal well-intentioned but warned it could undermine merit and deepen regional rivalry. Shina Oyedeji (PDP, Oyo) raised concerns about potential conflicts within zones, noting that introducing zoning into the constitution could trigger agitation from various states and ethnic groups.
Bello El-Rufai also questioned how such a law would function in cases where the President dies in office, as happened with the late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He added that the proposal could infringe on the right of Nigerians to contest any office of their choice.
However, Minority Whip Ali Isa supported the bill, arguing that all geopolitical zones should be given the opportunity to lead and that the principle should extend to state-level governance. He cited the Federal Character principle in calling for fairness and suggested the 2027 presidency be zoned to the North East.
Clement Jimbo (APC, Akwa Ibom) backed the proposal, saying it would help address long-standing marginalization of minority groups and called for a sunset clause after all zones have produced a President.
The bill ultimately failed to scale second reading following a voice vote.
Other rejected bills included:
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A bill to strip INEC of the power to register and regulate political parties, transferring it to a new Registrar-General of Political Parties.
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A bill to establish independent Offices of State Auditors-General for Local Governments and FCT Area Councils.
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A bill to create Ughelli East Local Government Area in Delta State.
Despite the rejections, lawmakers will continue reviewing the proposed amendments individually in subsequent sessions.