Atiku Seeks National Assembly Support For Six-Year Presidential Term Reform

Atiku Seeks National Assembly Support For Six-Year Presidential Term Reform

Former Vice President and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has submitted a proposal to the National Assembly, calling for a constitutional amendment to implement a single six-year term for the President and state governors…….CONTINUE READING 

In a memorandum addressed to the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review, Atiku also suggested that the presidency should rotate between the North and South. He pointed out that this proposal was initially championed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who advocated for a similar six-year term during his tenure.

Atiku reaffirmed his commitment to this idea after the 2023 general elections, stating, “The office of the President shall rotate among the six geopolitical zones of the federation, with a single six-year term alternating between the North and South.”

In his letter, he called for the amendment of Section 135(2) of the Constitution to state, “Subject to the provisions of subsection (1), the President shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of six years.”

Additionally, Atiku recommended replacing the term “aspirant” in Section 285(14)(a) with “voter” and proposed raising the minimum educational requirement for electoral candidates from a Senior Secondary School Certificate to an Ordinary National Diploma. He suggested that Section 65(2)(a) be revised to: “He has been educated up to at least Ordinary National Diploma in any recognized academic institution.”

Furthermore, Atiku proposed a provision in Section 65(2)(a)(i) that would require candidates to submit evidence of their educational qualifications to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or provide an affidavit in case of lost certificates, detailing the qualifications and schools attended.

He also advocated for political parties to play a more significant role in the candidate selection process. His proposed amendment to Section 65(2)(b) would require political parties to submit a list of their registered members to INEC 30 days before their primaries and ensure that the candidates are sponsored by their respective parties.