Nigerian Lawmakers Reject Proposal For A Six-Year Single Term Presidency

The House of Representatives has rejected a bill proposing a six-year single term for the presidency of Nigeria. The constitutional amendment bill, initially introduced in June by Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo) and 33 other lawmakers, was debated and subsequently dismissed on Thursday during a session on its general principles.

The bill also included provisions to rotate the presidency between Nigeria’s northern and southern regions and create two vice presidents—one for succession and another responsible for managing the economy. According to the proposal, the first vice president would assume the presidency if the sitting president becomes incapacitated, while the second vice president would serve as a minister overseeing economic affairs.

In addition, the bill suggested that the president and the first vice president must hail from the same region (either the North or South), and both vice presidents would serve as ministers within the cabinet. The second vice president would be tasked with economic management.

Rejection of the Bill

During the plenary session, Ugochinyere was not permitted to lead the debate before his bill was put to vote. Despite his motion to read the bill a second time, the House overwhelmingly voted against it when Speaker Abbas Tajudeen called for a vote.

Atiku’s Support for the Bill

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had expressed support for some aspects of the rejected bill, particularly the idea of rotating the presidency among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones and the proposed single six-year term. In August, Atiku submitted a memo to Deputy Senate President Barau Jibrin, who also chairs the Senate Committee on Constitution Review, advocating for similar reforms.

The 2014 National Conference had previously recommended a power rotation model that included rotating governorship positions among the three senatorial districts in each state. However, the administration of President Goodluck Jonathan did not act on these recommendations before leaving office.