Reps propose 6yrs single tenure for President, Governors

THE House of Representatives has proposed a single six years tenure for President and governors and also moved to create office of two vice presidents from Southern and Northern part of Nigeria.

The single term bill  which is one of the six bills which have passed through first reading on the floor of the House is sponsored by 35 members of the House.

The other bills include: 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.

The single term bill seeks to amend section 3 of the Constitution to provide for the recognition of the division of Nigeria into six geopolitical zones.

*To amend the Constitution to provide for a single tenure of six years for the President and Governors of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. 

Others are “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.

*To amend section 162(5) of the 1999 Constitution to provide that where a state government fails to remit to the local government councils within its jurisdiction within the state, the amounts standing to the credit of that Local Government in the allocation from the Federation Account, such state government shall not be entitled to receive a future allocation from the Federal Government.

*To amend the relevant sections of the Electoral Act to ensure that all elections (presidential, governorship, National Assembly, state Houses of Assembly, and local governments) are held on the same day.

*Amending the relevant sections of the Electoral Act to provide that no declaration of a winner of an election shall be done by the relevant Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, officials until such officer has compared the results with the list of accredited voters and ensured that the results to be declared are in tandem with the list of accredited voters and the B-VAS machine or any other electronic device. 

*To amend the Electoral Act to provide that any INEC Officer who declares a false result will be liable for civil and criminal action personally brought against him by parties in the elections.

*An Amendment to the Electoral Act to provide that all election-related litigation must be resolved and determined by the Elections Petitions Tribunal, Appeal Courts, etc., before the winners are sworn into the respective elective offices.

*To  amend the Electoral Act to make provision for the conduct and conclusion of all elections and election-related litigation within a period of six months before the swearing into office of the validly elected person for the office contested.

*An Amendment of the Electoral Act to provide that all election-related documents and materials must be made available to those who participated in elections and who have reasons to question/petition the elections at the Elections Tribunal.''

Addressing journalist in Abuja, spokesperson of the 35 reformed minded lawmakers, Ikenga Ugochinyere, representing  Ideato North/South federal constituency of Imo State, said that  bills if passed into law would reduce government spending and wastage, enhance efficiency in governance, and national stability by providing a single term of six years for the President and Governors.

He said: "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 numbers have gone through first reading but today, we are starting with public unveiling of about six of them while the remaining will come in the weeks ahead.  It ranges from governance, economic, security, and justice sector reforms to social bills that will target unifying our nation and ensuring long-lasting peace and national cohesion. 

“The reformers are cognizant of the fact that Nigeria in times past has deliberated on and accepted some of the proposals in the Bills we are presented in several reform processes, including the Justice Uwais electoral reforms, the Senator Ken Nnamani electoral reform committee, the Udoji civil service reform reports, the Confab reports, Obasanjo, Jonathan, IBB,Abacha reform efforts and several others. 

"These works by eminent Nigerians, including lawmakers before us  have been long abandoned despite the time and resources committed to them. It's time we revisited those reports, adopted some of the salient proposals, and adjusted them to fit the current realities.

"Therefore, the bills presented today will address that proposal on governance, we are proposing.

"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. It is also to 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.

"Elections remain our only democratic means of bringing back sanity in our polity, so we must get our selection processes right. We are proposing Bills to address capture and corruption in our electoral processes to include.

"The task ahead of us is huge and cannot be achieved without you. It is a task for all of us. Our work does not go beyond taking the initiative to get them into parliament. 

"To ensure that the bills are successful is on us all. Call up all your representatives in the National Assembly and solicit their support for the bills, lobby, participate in the hearings, and use all manner of platforms, digital media, social media, and traditional media to advocate the passage of these critical reform bills. Ours is a commitment to building a united, stable, and prosperous nation, and with your contribution, cooperation, and support, Nigeria can and must become a great and modern nation. With true conscience and determination, let us join hands and re-dedicate ourselves to the service of this great country so that it will be a place we can be proud of. We cannot afford to fail in this task, and by the grace of God, we shall succeed.”