House of Reps Rejects Bill on Rotational Presidency

• The House of Representatives on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, said no to rotational residency in Nigeria
• The House rejected the bill seeking to rotate the office of the president and vice president among the six geopolitics zones
• The lawmakers argued that the bill infringed on the right of all Nigerians to contest for any office of their choice

Legit.ng journalist Adekunle Dada has over 8 years of experience covering metro, government policy, and international issues

FCT, Abuja - The House of Representatives sitting in Abuja has rejected a bill on rotational presidency among six geopolitical zones

The lawmakers rejected a constitutional amendment bill seeking to rotate the office of the president and vice president among the six geopolitics zones.

As reported by The Punch, many lawmakers opposed the idea and warned against setting a dangerous precedent with it.

The Deputy Minority Leader, Aliyu Madaki, said that issues the bill intends to cure have been addressed by the Federal Character Commission.

Madaki warned that the issue of rotation should not be included in the constitution but allowed to remain the way it is.

He argued that the existing political parties already have mechanisms to ensure fair representation in the sharing of offices at every given electoral period.

Shina Oyedeji (PDP, Oyo) said the bill will encourage every state and tribe in the various zones to begin another round of agitation for fairness and justice.

According to Oyedeji, every Nigerian should be given equal opportunity to aspire to the office of the President and Vice President,

“If you adopt zoning and it comes to the South West for example, which state will take the position? Is it Ogun or Oyo?

Bello Mohammed El-Rufai said the bill will infringe on the right of all Nigerians to contest for any office of their choice, adding that even if the rotation principle is allowed, there will always be mistrust among the people.

“Whatever you do in Nigeria, there will always be a cry of marginalisation. We should not engage in a dangerous precedent by putting it in the Constitution”.

Source: Legit.ng