The House of Representatives has rejected a bill recommending a single term of six years for the Offices of the President, State Governors and Local Government Areas Chairmen by amending the 1999 constitution.
The proposed bill, which seeks to alter Sections 76, 116, 132, 136, and some others of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), was sponsored by Rep Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP-Imo) and 33 other lawmakers, also seeks legal backing for zonal rotation of presidential and governorship seats, as well as holding of the elections in one day.
The bill, in its general principles, believes “these amendments was to ensure inclusive governance and to curb wastages occasioned by four-year periodic elections.
Tribune Online reports that the House passed the bill through the first reading in July.
Aside from seeking amendments to Section 132 of the Principal Act for constitutional backing for rotational presidency between the South and the North every six years, the bill also seeks alterations to Section 76 of the Principal Act to ensure 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 in accordance with the Electoral Act.
One of the amendments sought by the bill is for the First Vice President to be sworn in as President in circumstances where a person duly elected as President dies before taking and subscribing the Oath of Allegiance and oath of office or is for any reason whatsoever unable to be sworn in. According to the bill, the First Vice President turned President shall appoint a new First Vice President with the approval by a simple majority of the National Assembly at a joint sitting.
Also, the bill wants alteration to a section of the constitution to ensure that a person who was sworn in as Governor to complete the term for which another person was elected as Governor shall not be elected to such office for another term.
Another seek of the bill is to stop a person who was sworn in as Governor to complete the term for which another person was elected as Governor, from shall being elected to such office for another term.
The Principal Act is altered by inserting a new Section 188 immediately after the extant 187 and immediately before the extant 188 and renumbering accordingly as follows; 188(1) Notwithstanding any other provision, the Governor shall present a mid-term account of stewardship performance report to the State House of Assembly at the end of the third year of the six-year term. The State House of Assembly shall determine by a resolution supported by not less than two-third majority of members whether the Governor bas by the account of stewardship report justified his continuous stay in office.
Where, upon the consideration of the mid-term report under subsection (1) of this section, the State House of Assembly is not satisfied with the performance of the Governor for the period he has been in office, the State House of Assembly shall pass a vote of no confidence on the Governor. The State House of Assembly shall immediately commence the process for the impeachment of the Governor from office.”
When the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the plenary session put the bill to a voice vote, the House was louder against it than those who are in support of the bill.