The House of Representatives, yesterday, voted against a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to rotate offices of the President and Vice President among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
On its part, the Senate called on the Federal Government to include one representative from each local council across the states, and one per area council in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) deliberations.
Sponsored by the Deputy Speaker, Benjamin Kalu, the bill was entitled ‘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).”
During the plenary presided over by Kalu, House Leader, Julius Ihonvbere, read out the titles of the bills and members were invited to debate the proposed amendments.
Aliyu Madaki, representing Dala Federal Constituency of Kano State under the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), said there was no need for the proposed legislation, as the constitution already addresses inclusivity through the Federal Character principle.
Madaki noted that political parties, not the Constitution, should decide on zoning, adding that it was unnecessary to entrench the principle in the nation’s supreme law.
But Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lawmaker, Ali Isah (Balanga/Billiri, Gombe), countered Madaki’s position, observing that constitutionalising rotational presidency would promote equity and ensure all zones feel included in national leadership.
Describing the bill as “very injurious to the unity of the country”, Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) warned that embedding rotation in the Constitution might elevate ethnic and regional loyalties over competence.
In response, Kalu dismissed fears that the bill would promote mediocrity, stressing that all regions of the country have qualified individuals capable of leading. He added that the bill would give every region a chance to contribute to the country’s governance and progress.
After an intense debate, the Deputy Speaker called a voice vote, and the majority of lawmakers responded with “nays”, leading to the bill’s rejection. Kalu upheld the outcome of the voice vote
SENATE also directed that the resolution be communicated to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, who serves as the FAAC Chairman, for immediate action.
The resolutions, in a move to strengthen constitutional compliance and financial transparency at the grassroots level, followed a motion sponsored by the Deputy President of the Senate, Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who emphasised that local councils, as constitutionally recognised third-tier government under Section 7(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), were entitled to a direct share from the Federation Account.
The Senate cited the Supreme Court’s ruling, which clarified that state governments act merely as conduits for transferring local council allocations and hold no ownership or discretionary powers over those funds.
According to the lawmakers, while FAAC includes only representatives of the federal and state governments, Section 5 of the Allocation of Revenue (Federation Account, etc) Act 1981 excludes local councils, a provision now deemed inconsistent with the Constitution, following a landmark Supreme Court judgment delivered in July 2024.
The Senate further noted that while state governments had historically represented local councils at the FAAC, the evolving legal interpretation now necessitates direct representation to safeguard local council interests and enhance transparency in revenue sharing.
culled from guardian newspaper
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