Former Vice President and the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general elections, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has written to the Senate seeking that the Constitution be amended to allow the President and state governors to serve a single six-year term.
In a memorandum to the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review, Atiku suggested that the presidency be cycled between the North and South.
It is worth noting that during his administration, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo argued for a single six-year term.
Following the 2023 general elections, Atiku maintained his support for this tenure plan.
He stated, “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.”
He called on the National Assembly to “amend Section 135(2) to read: ‘Subject to the provisions of subsection (1), the President shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of six years.”
Furthermore, Atiku proposed the “substitution of an aspirant” in Section 285(14)(a) with “a voter.”
The PDP chieftain also suggested that the minimum educational qualification for a person to run for election should be the Ordinary National Diploma instead of the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination. He proposed an amendment to Section 65(2)(a) to read: “He has been educated up to at least Ordinary National Diploma in any recognised academic institution.”
Additionally, he recommended the insertion of a paragraph in Section 65(2)(a)(i) to read: “Evidence of certificates of all educational qualifications of a candidate shall be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission or an affidavit by the candidate in the event of loss of his/her educational certificates, qualifications obtained, and dates, stating the schools attended.”
The former Vice President also advocated for political parties to have more power in the candidate selection process. He proposed an “amendment to Section 65(2)(b) to read: ‘He is a member of a political party whose name is in the register to be made available by his political party to the Independent National Electoral Commission 30 days before the conduct of the political party’s primary, and he is sponsored by that party.’”
