Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, in the 2023 general election, Atiku Abubakar has recommended a rotation of presidential position among the six geo-political zones of the country.
While giving recommendations which borders on procedures for the educational qualification of candidate(s) in elections, internal democracy in political parties, Atiku’s proposals were addressed to the Deputy President of the Senate and Chairman, Senate Committee on Constitution Review, Senator Barau Jibrin, and dated August 30, 2024.
In a statement by his media aide, Paul Ibe, the former vice president said his recommendations are a bid to advance the course of constitutional democracy in Nigeria, especially as the National Assembly continues its ongoing effort to revise the 1999 Constitution.
According to the explanatory note covering the proposals by Atiku, the amendments that he seeks in the review of the constitution aim at the following:
“These amendments seek to raise the standard of the educational qualification of political office seekers.
“An end to violent takeover of political parties and thereby strengthening internal structure of political parties
“Reducing the tendencies of political parties to breach the constitution, electoral act, rules and guidelines made thereunder, and the constitution of the political party
“The implication of the above is that political parties are allowed a very wide latitude to breach the perimeter of laws on elections.
“Such indiscipline by political parties and infidelity to the electoral parameters yield chaos in the system.
“The above amendments will enthrone the discipline that is needed in a democracy,” Atiku stated.
Meanwhile, the recommendation for rotational presidency in the proposal reads thus:
a. Add paragraph “A” to section 130(1) to read – “the office of the president shall rotate among the six geopolitical zones of the Federation on a single term of Six Years flowing between the North and South on the single term of Six Years respectively.
b. Amend Section 135(2) to read – “subject to the provisions of the subsection (1), the President shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of Six Years commencing from the date.
c. Amend Section 137(1)(b) to read – “he has been elected to such office before.”
