Atiku seeks six-year single tenure for presidents

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has asked the national assembly to create a single six-year single tenure for anyone who becomes president of Nigeria.

Abubakar, a former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, said the presidency should be rotational among the six geo-political zones of the country.

In a memorandum to the senate ad hoc committee on the constitution review, Abubakar said he is proposing amendments to sections 130(1), 135(2), and 137(1)(b) of the constitution.

“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,” the former vice-president said.

“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.

“Amend Section 137(1)(b) to read – ‘he has been elected to such office before’.

“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.”

The former vice-president said his amendments are trying to address the “pitfalls” in the country’s electoral laws.