Former Vice President and 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has submitted a formal request to the Senate, calling for a major constitutional amendment. In his letter to the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review, Atiku pushed for a single six-year term for the President and state governors, with a rotation of the presidency between Nigeria's northern and southern regions.
This proposal echoes a similar idea championed by former President Olusegun Obasanjo during his tenure. Atiku’s advocacy for the single-term limit continues his stance from the 2023 elections, where he supported a rotational presidency across the country’s six geopolitical zones.
Atiku’s memorandum emphasized, “The office of the President shall rotate among the six geopolitical zones of the federation on a single term of six years, alternating between the North and South.”
He urged the National Assembly to amend Section 135(2) of the Constitution to ensure that “the President shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of six years.”
Beyond the six-year term, Atiku also proposed changes to the qualifications for political office. He suggested raising the minimum educational requirement for candidates from the Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (SSCE) to the Ordinary National Diploma (OND). His recommended amendment to Section 65(2)(a) reads: “He has been educated up to at least Ordinary National Diploma in any recognised academic institution.”
Additionally, Atiku advocated for greater transparency in candidates’ educational qualifications. He called for all educational certificates or an affidavit detailing qualifications to be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The PDP stalwart also recommended giving political parties more influence in the candidate selection process. His proposal urged that Section 65(2)(b) be amended to require political parties to submit the names of their candidates 30 days before primaries and to ensure those candidates are officially sponsored by the party.
Atiku’s proposals have sparked fresh debate about the structure of Nigeria’s political system and the role of leadership tenure in promoting national unity.
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