Sunday, October 2, 2011

Jonathan woos senators, reps with new deal


The Nation
1 October 2011


7-Year single tenure bill • Rotation of presidency, governorship between zones in new amendments • Senators, reps get 6-year renewable tenure • Opposition parties bank on North to defeat bill

In a bid to ensure its troubled seven-year single tenure bill scales through the national and state assemblies, the Presidency is set to present new proposals that will enshrine the rotation of the office of President between the six geo-political zones of the country in the constitution.

Similarly, there would be constitutional guarantees for the first time ensuring that the office of governor rotates between the senatorial zones of every state.

The existing 1999 constitution is silent on the issue of rotation of such positions between the zones. It equally does not recognize the zones as legal entities. Presently, only the constitution of the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) provides for a lose arrangement where the Presidency rotates between North and South.

If President Goodluck Jonathan’s new proposals scale through the National Assembly, they throw open the 2015 presidential and gubernatorial contests as all zones at state and federal level would have constitutional grounds to vie for any of the positions.

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