Nigeria’s House of Representatives on Tuesday voted down a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to rotate the offices of president and vice president among the country’s six geopolitical zones.
The bill, co-sponsored by Speaker Tajudeen Abbas and Rep. Francis Waive, was presented for second reading but failed to pass following a voice vote conducted by Deputy Speaker Benjamin Okezie Kalu, who presided over plenary.
“The nays have it,” Kalu ruled after brief but spirited debate on the floor.
The proposed amendment sought to institutionalize zoning by rotating the top executive offices among the North Central, North East, North West, South East, South South, and South West zones, a move supporters said would foster inclusivity and national unity.
But opponents argued that the constitution should not be used to formalize political arrangements better left to parties.
“Let it remain the way it is”
Leading opposition to the bill, Deputy Minority Leader Aliyu Madaki said the principle of federal character already provides a framework for equitable representation.
“There’s no need to enshrine zoning in the constitution,” Madaki said. “The Federal Character Commission already addresses these concerns. Political parties have their internal mechanisms for balancing power.”
Others warned that constitutionalizing zoning could trigger fresh disputes among sub-national groups.
“If you adopt zoning and it comes to the South-West, for example, which state takes the position—Ogun or Oyo?” asked Rep. Shina Oyedeji (PDP, Oyo). “This will lead to agitation.”
Merit vs. rotation
Sada Soli (APC, Katsina) acknowledged the bill’s intent but questioned whether it might sacrifice quality for geographical balance.
“It’s an ingenious proposal, but will it work against merit?” Soli said. “This may not be in the country’s best interest.”
Proponents of the bill, including Kalu, had argued that a formalized rotation system would ease regional tensions and broaden political participation, particularly for historically marginalized zones.
However, without sufficient support across the aisles, the proposal was rejected at the second reading stage, ending its legislative journey—at least for now.
