The Committee on Political Restructuring and Forms of Government at the ongoing National Conference, has adopted a rotational principle for presidency and governorship positions in Nigeria.
The committee, through a majority vote, on Tuesday, May 13, 2014 agreed that the rotational principle should be operative among the existing geo-political zones and senatorial districts respectively and should be enshrined in the Electoral Act and in the constitution of political parties in the country.
While backing rotational principle, Senator Femi Okurounmu, a delegate from the South-West who also chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee on the conference said that the system would give every zone the opportunity to produce president, adding that the new principle should be embedded in the Electoral Act and in the constitutions of the various political parties.
Another member of the committee representing Federal Government, Senator Nimi Amange, said: “If we want zoning, we should zone the presidency to all ethnic nationalities in Nigeria so that all of them will enjoy the presidency.”
Dr. Philips Salawu, former deputy governor of Kogi State proposed that the system should be practiced at the centre, states and local government levels. “The presidency should alternate between North and South among the six geo political zones. It should also be included in the constitution. If you can entrench it in the constitution, the quest for state creation would not be necessary.”
Speaking also, Ambassador Lawrence Agubuzu (South-East) said that “it should be based on geo-political zones since it has been used to determine our sharing formula.”
As for General Jonathan Temlong (Federal Government), “It has to be institutionalized. We also ask the parties to include zoning in their constitutions as it affects all levels of government. It should be given legal backing and entrenched in the electoral law.”
Senator Ladan (North-West) said that rotation should be left to the parties and should not be a constitutional issue because “it will create a very serious problem if included in the constitution. A leader must be elected on the basis of acceptability.”
For Mr. Yinka Odumakin (South-West), “there is no part of the country that cannot have a qualified person. The office should rotate among the zones in the country.”
Also, Professor Anya O. Anya (Federal Government delegate) said that it was proper to locate the matter in the Electoral Law and the constitution of political parties, asserting that “You cannot divorce the rotational principle from the structure.”
