Atiku writes senate, seeks 6-year single term for president

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has written to the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review, calling for changes to Nigeria’s constitution.

In the memorandum shared by his special adviser on media, Abdul Rasheeth, Atiku is seeking a rotational presidency between the North and South, with a six-year single term for the president and governors.

This proposal is not new to Atiku, who has consistently supported this tenure arrangement since his time as deputy to former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

Atiku suggests amending Section 135(2) to reflect this change, stating, “The office of the President shall rotate among the six geopolitical zones of the federation on a single term of six years, flowing between the North and South on the single term of six years respectively.”

Atiku also proposes raising the minimum educational qualification for political office seekers from Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination to Ordinary National Diploma.

Furthermore, Atiku recommends granting political parties more authority in the candidate selection process. He suggests amending Section 65(2)(b) to require candidates to be registered members of their party, with their names submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission 30 days before primaries.