A group of members of the House of Representatives under the aegis of ‘Reform Minded Lawmakers’ has called for a single term of six years for President and Governors among other electoral reforms as contained in various bills presented before the House.
The lawmakers made the call at a press conference in Abuja on Monday.
Rep. Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere said constitutional and electoral reform had been a burning topic in Nigeria since independence from Britain in 1960, noting that over the past 50 years, the controversy had led to unrest and deepened religious and ethnic divides.
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He said, “We are a group of Reform-minded Lawmakers committed towards using the instrument of lawmaking to reform Nigeria and our political process.
“This is equally in line with our realization that our current political arrangement has some identified distortions, defects, and limitations that call for urgent, focused, and realistic attention, hence this initiative on political and Electoral reform.
“Our history as a nation shows very clearly that we have been through some difficult times. We have missed great opportunities.
“Hence, as the first step in our commitment, we are presenting to the public Bills and proposals, which we are pushing on the floor of the 10th Assembly.
“These bills will touch on every aspect of development in all sectors of our Economy and well-being as a nation.
“These bills which are 50 in number have gone through first reading but today we are starting with public unveiling of about 6 of them while the remaining will come in the weeks ahead”.
The lawmakers said they seek, among other things, to push for “Constitutional Alteration to provide for the rotation of executive powers among the six geopolitical zones to ensure equal representation and reduce the desperation and tempo of agitation for the creation of states.
“Amendment of section 3 of the Constitution to provide for the recognition of the division of Nigeria into six geopolitical zones. Amendment of the Constitution to provide for a single tenure of six years for the President and Governors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. The reduction in government spending and wastage, efficiency in governance, and national stability by providing a single term of six years for the President and Governors.
“Amend the Constitution to create the office of two vice presidents from the southern and northern parts of Nigeria. The 1st vice shall be a succession Vice president, while the 2nd Vice president shall be a Minister in charge of the Economy, and both shall be Ministers.
“Constitutional Amendment to provide that the President and the 1st Vice President shall come from the same part of the country (north or south) and the 1st Vice President shall become President whenever the President becomes incapacitated, i.e., V.P. (Succession), V.P. (Administration and Economy)
“The financial autonomy and accountability of Local Government Councils by prescribing an independent Consolidated Local Government Council Account solely superintended by Local Councils and prescribing long-term imprisonment for any misuse of Local Government funds”.
