The House of Representatives has rejected a bill proposing a six-year single term for Nigeria’s president and state governors.
The bill, which was slated for a second reading during Thursday’s plenary session, was sponsored by Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere, a lawmaker from Imo State, alongside 33 co-sponsors.
It aimed to reform the nation’s governance structure by introducing a single six-year tenure and rotating executive powers among the six geopolitical zones to promote equity and reduce agitation for state creation.
Under the current 1999 Constitution, elected officials, including the president, can serve a four-year term and seek re-election for a second term, after which they are no longer eligible to contest for office.
The bill also sought to recognise the division of Nigeria into six geopolitical zones in the constitution; establish the office of two vice-presidents, one each from the northern and southern regions; and mandate that presidential, governorship, national assembly, state house of assembly and local government elections be conducted on the same day.
During the debate, Speaker Tajudeen Abbas called for a voice vote after Ugochinyere moved for the bill’s second reading. The motion was overwhelmingly rejected, with the “nays” significantly outnumbering the “ayes.”
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is among notable advocates of the six-year single-term proposal. In September, he submitted a proposal to the National Assembly suggesting the presidency be rotated among the six geopolitical zones.
