Atiku Abubakar, a former Vice President and the Peoples Democratic Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, has reached out to the National Assembly to propose a constitutional amendment for a six-year single term for both the President and state governors.In his memorandum to the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review, Atiku also suggested that the presidency be rotated between the North and South. This idea echoes a similar proposal made by former President Olusegun Obasanjo during his tenure. Since the 2023 elections, Atiku has remained a strong advocate for this tenure reform.
“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 said.
Atiku advised 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.’”
Additionally, he proposed the “substitution of an aspirant” in Section 285(14)(a) with “a voter.”
The former Vice President also proposed raising the minimum educational requirement for election candidates from the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination to an Ordinary National Diploma. He suggested amending Section 65(2)(a) to state: “He has been educated up to at least an Ordinary National Diploma in any recognized academic institution.”
Additionally, he recommended adding a clause to Section 65(2)(a)(i) to stipulate: “Candidates must submit evidence of all educational qualifications to the Independent National Electoral Commission or provide an affidavit in case of lost certificates, detailing the qualifications obtained and the schools attended.”
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Atiku further emphasized the need for political parties to have greater authority in the candidate selection process. He proposed amending Section 65(2)(b) to read: “He is a member of a political party listed in the register, which must be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission 30 days prior to the party’s primary, and he is sponsored by that party.”
