House of Reps rejects six-year single-term proposal for President, Governors

The House of Representatives has rejected a bill seeking to reduce the tenure of the president and governors to a single tenure of six years.

Sponsored by Ikenga Ugochinyere and 33 others, the bill was debated on Thursday but lawmakers turned it down.

The now rejected constitution alteration bill sought to amend the 1999 constitution, to reduce the tenure of the lawmakers and also seek the zonal rotation of presidential and governorship seats, as well as holding of the elections in one day.

The amendment Bill proposal seeks to ensure inclusive governance and to curb wastages occasioned by four-year periodic elections.

The Bill also seeks to amend Section 76 of the Principal Act by inserting a new Sub-section (3) as follows;

“(3) For the purposes of Section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly, and State Houses of Assembly shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.”

The Bill was put to a voice vote by the Speaker who presided over the plenary session and the nays had it.

It would be recalled that the same bill was introduced during the administration of Goodluck Jonathan but was also thrown out.