House Reps Rejects Six-Year Single Term Proposal For Elected Officials

•By Our Reporter 

ABUJA – The House of Representatives has opposed a bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to introduce a single six-year term for the President, State Governors, and Local Government Chairmen.

The bill, which was first read on July 17, 2024, on the floor of the House, underwent its second reading on Thursday, November 21, 2024. However, it failed to scale through as members of the House voted against it.

The proposed legislation sought to amend key sections of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), including Sections 76, 116, 132, and 136, among others.

The general principles of the bill stated the need for amendments to promote inclusive governance and reduce the wastage associated with the current four-year election cycle.

The proposed bill among others seeks to amend Section 132 of the Principal Act by introducing a new subsection (2), deleting the current subsection (4), and renumbering the entire section accordingly. The amendment aims to provide for the rotation of the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria between the North and South regions every six years.

Additionally, the bill seeks to amend Section 76 of the Principal Act by inserting a new subsection (3), which stipulates that:

“For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of the President, Governors, National Assembly, and State Houses of Assembly shall be conducted simultaneously on the same date.

The date is to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in consultation with the National Assembly and in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.

“Section 116 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting a new a subsection (3) as follows; < For the purposes of subsection (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government Councils shall be held simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.

“Section 132 of the Principal Act is amended by inserting a new é subsection (2), deleting the extant subsection (4) and renumbering the entire section accordingly: 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. Provided that where it is the turn of the North or South to present a candidate for election into the office of President, it shall be rotated among the three geo-political zones that constitutes the regions. The extant subsection (2) becomes subsection (3) The extant subsection (3) becomes subsection (4) The extant subsection (4) is hereby deleted The extant subsection (5) remains subsection (5).

“Section 136 of the Principal Act is amended by deleting the a extant subsections 1 & 2 and replacing them with new subsections I, 2 and 3 as follows: If 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, 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.

“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. 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.

“Section 136 of the Principal Act is amended by deleting the a extant subsections 1 & 2 and replacing them with new subsections I, 2 and 3 as follows: If 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, 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.

“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. 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 Bill was read and put to vote by the Speaker of the House, Rep. Tajudeen Abbas, who presided over the plenary session and the nays had it.

•INDEPENDENTNG.