The South-East region has renewed its call for a constitutional amendment that would institutionalize a rotational presidency system and grant full autonomy to local government administrations across Nigeria.

This demand was voiced during the South-East Zonal Public Hearing on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, organized on Friday in Enugu by the Senate.

During the event, the Governor of Enugu State, Peter Mbah, highlighted the critical importance of adopting rotational presidency principles for the South-East geopolitical zone.

Governor Mbah, whose remarks were delivered by the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Professor Chidiebere Onyia, explained that embracing rotational leadership among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones would ensure each region — including the South-East — is fairly represented in the highest political office of the country.

He noted that this approach would greatly strengthen national unity and foster a profound sense of belonging for all Nigerians.

In the same vein, Mbah suggested that gubernatorial positions should rotate among senatorial zones within each state, while legislative seats should rotate among the constituencies. This, he argued, would improve inclusiveness and promote equitable participation across every level of the nation’s democratic framework.

Furthermore, the governor advocated strongly for increased representation of women in government. He proposed the creation of one extra Senate seat for women per state and two additional seats in the House of Representatives specifically reserved for women.

In addition, the Enugu State governor recommended that each state’s House of Assembly should have three extra seats allocated for women, to advance gender equality and guarantee women a more active role in governance and decision-making processes.

Governor Mbah also called for the proper institutionalisation of local government councils as fully independent administrative units.

He argued that the current system — in which state governors frequently appoint caretaker committees to administer local governments — limits local democracy and frustrates development at the grassroots level.

Mbah emphasized that the constitutional review committee should amend the 1999 Constitution to enforce the democratic structure of local government councils, enabling them to gain direct access to their allocations from the National Consolidated Account.

He further demanded legislative and fiscal reforms that would devolve greater power and resources to state governments. According to him, the excessive concentration of political and financial power at the federal level, which stems from Nigeria’s history of military rule, has restricted the growth and advancement of states.

Mbah stressed that a functional federal structure must empower states as autonomous bodies with adequate authority and resources to positively affect their citizens’ welfare.

Similarly, Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State presented complementary demands. Through a speech delivered by Moses Odunwa, the Speaker of the Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Nwifuru supported the need to reserve designated political seats for women.

He also pressed for the creation of an additional state within the South-East geopolitical zone, explaining that it would bring the region into balance with other geopolitical regions across Nigeria in terms of state count and representation.

According to Nwifuru’s representative, if certain seats were set aside exclusively for female candidates, every political party would be compelled to nominate women to contest and fill those seats, thereby expanding female participation in governance.

The South-East Zonal Public Hearing on constitutional review brought together traditional rulers, representatives of non-governmental organizations, civil society groups, and other government stakeholders to deliberate on how best to restructure Nigeria’s constitutional framework to achieve fairness, inclusivity, and sustainable national development.