Bill on all elections holding in one day, mandatory e-transmission of results, rotational presidency passes first reading
By Ishaya Ibrahim
A radical reform of Nigeria’s electoral system is underway, as a group of 35 House of Representatives members have introduced bills to that effect.
The bill seeks to amend the Constitution to limit the period during which any individual can serve as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Governor of State from two terms of four years each to a single 6-year tenure.
The bill also seeks the conduct of all elections in one day, the conclusion of all pre-election matters before election, resolutions of all post-election matters before swearing-in and mandatory results transmission, among others.
The Bill sponsored by 35 pro-reform-minded lawmakers, wants an amendment for the rotation of the Presidency across the six geopolitical zones in the country.
Co-sponsor of the bill, Ikenga Ugochinyere, while addressing journalists with other lawmakers including Aliyu mustapha, Danga Abdulmaleek, Prof Paul Nnamchi, Mathew Nwaogu, Abiante Awaji Inombek, Midala Usman, Sagir Koki at a press conference, said that the sole intent of the bill was to enact legislation that would make provisions for a single term of 6 years, the rotation of political power amongst the geo-political zones.
Ugochinyere lamented that Nigeria is among several countries in Africa confronted by threats of political instability and social conflicts, hence the situation led to political actors in the country to canvass for the adoption of a rotational and single-tenure presidency as a potent political arrangement that can guarantee stability.
Ugochinyere called for support for the bill, saying that Nigeria should emulate Mexico as they practice a presidential system of government like Nigeria, but with a single-term presidency of six years.
Ugochinyere said an important aspect of the bill is that it will also ensure that the Constitution recognizes the division of Nigeria into six geopolitical zones, and for the position of the Presidency, the rotation of power between the North and the South shall be done amongst the six-geopolitical zones to ensure that no zone is left out in six successions.
He said another critical bill by the group of lawmakers is the bill to amend the relevant sections of the Electoral Act to ensure that all elections (presidential, governorship, National Assembly, state houses of Assembly, and local governments) are held on the same day.
He said that elections remain the only democratic means of bringing back sanity in the polity.
