The House of Representatives has rejected a bill seeking to amend the 1999 constitution to provide for rotation of the offices of the president and vice president among the six geopolitical zones of the country.

The bill which was sponsored by the Deputy Speaker of the House, Benjamin Okezie Kalu was titled: “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Cap. C23, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 to Provide for the Principle of Rotation of the Offices of the President and the Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria among the Six Geopolitical Zones of the Country, Namely: North Central, North East, North West, South East, South South, and South West and for Related Matters (HB. 2291).

Daily Trust reports that the bill was among the seven constitution amendment bills listed for second reading on the House Order Paper for Tuesday.

After House Leader read the titles of the seven constitution amendment bills to the House, the Deputy Speaker who presided over the plenary, opened the floor for lawmakers to make their contributions on the bills.

Contributing, Rep Aliyu Madaki (NNPP, Kano), opposed the bill, saying, the issue the bill was trying to address had been adequately covered by the constitution under the principle of federal character.

Madaki argued that the issue of zoning of presidency should be left to individual political parties to decide, saying there was no need to enshrine such provision in the constitution.

Rep Ali Isah (PDP, Gombe), however, disagreed with the position of Madaki. He said enshrining rotational presidency in the constitution would engender fairness and sense of belonging for all the geopolitical zones of the country.

Rep Sada Soli (APC, Katsina), while opposing the bill, said the proposed legislation “is very injurious to the unity of the country.”

He said enshrining the principle of rotational presidency in the constitution would lead to the enthronement of mediocrity over competence.

“It could play up regional and ethnic interests over competency. It will encourage limited choice of people that can vie for office and it will encourage regional rivalry which negates the spirit of unity,” Soli said.

But Kalu while responding to Soli’s position dismissed the argument on the enthronement of mediocrity, adding that every geopolitical zone of the country has competent and capable people that can occupy the offices of president and vice president.

He said the essence of the bill was to ensure that every part of the country has the opportunity to contribute to the governance and development of the country.

Rep Shina Oyedeji in his contribution opposed the bill, noting that the essence of democracy is all about healthy competition. He added that including clauses of zoning and regional sentiments negated democratic principles.

“Everybody should be given the chance to stand and contest an election in any given opportunity,” he said.

Rep Bello El-Rufai (APC, Kaduna), while opposing the bill said, enshrining the principle of rotational presidency in the constitution would lead to regional and ethnic rivalries given the multiplicity of ethnicities in the country.

After heated debates on the bill, the Deputy Speaker put it to a voice vote and the majority of the lawmakers opposed it with “nays” voice.

The deputy speaker ruled on the nays. (Daily Trust)