Nigerian Lawmakers Reject Bill Proposing 6-Year Single Tenure For President, Governors, LG Chairmen
The House of Representatives on Thursday rejected the bill seeking to amend the 1999 constitution to make the president, state governors and council chairmen have a 6-year single tenure.
The bill sponsored by Hon Ikenga Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Imo State, and 33 others, had also proposed that the Office of the President should be occupied by citizens from the North and South regions, and done in rotation while it should be done on the basis of senatorial districts at the state level.
The proposed bill had sought to alter Sections 76, 116, 132, and 136 in the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
‘These amendments are to ensure inclusive governance and to curb wastages occasioned by four-year periodic elections.
The bill among others seeks amendment of Section 132 of the Principal Act by inserting a new subsection (2), deleting the extant subsection (4) and renumbering the entire section accordingly to provide that an election to the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be rotated between the North and the South regions of the country every six years.
Other amendments include, Section 76 of the Principal Act is altered by inserting a new subsection (3) as follows; (3) For the purposes of Section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and accordance with the Electoral Act.
If a person duly elected as President dies before taking and subscribing to the oath of allegiance and oath of office or is for any reason whatsoever unable to be sworn in, the person elected with him as First Vice President shall be sworn in as President and he shall appoint a new First Vice President with the approval by a simple majority of the National Assembly at a joint sitting’ the sponsors had submitted in the general principles of the bill.
Team@orientactualmags.com learned that the bill was rejected by the lawmakers after being put to a voice vote by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas who presided over the plenary session–Team@orientactualmags.com Do you have any information you wish to share with us? Do you want us to cover your event or programme? Kindly send SMS to 08059100286, 09094171980 or get in touch via orientactualmag@gmail.com. Thank you.
