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BREAKING: 35 Lawmakers Propose Six- Year Single Term For President, Governors, One-day Election, Two-Vice Presidents

Published

2 years ago

June 10, 2024

Gloria Ikibah

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By Gloria Ikibah

A group of 35 lawmakers in the House of Representatives under the auspices of “The Reformers” from different political parties have sponsored six bills to propose a single term of six years for the office of the President and Governors and rotational presidency amongst the six geopolitical zones, two vice presidents representing the North and South.

The group is also advocating the conduct of Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship, State Houses of Assembly and Local Government as well as Area Councils (FCT) elections in one day.

The lawmakers disclosed this at a press conference on the 50 bills they jointly sponsored and which passed first reading on the floor of the House.

Reading the text of the press conference on Monday in Abuja, Co-sponsor of the bills Rep. Ikenga Ugochinyere, member representing Ideato North/South Federal Constituency of Imo State, said the group is proposing 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.

According to him, the bills seek to amend the Constitution to create the office of two vice presidents from the southern and northern parts of Nigeria with the 1st vice being a succession Vice president, while the 2nd Vice president being a Minister in charge of the Economy, and both being Ministers.

Ugochinyere explained that the reformer bills seek 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.

He said: “We, the reformers elected representatives of the people of Nigeria, are concentrated on proving that we are fully capable of managing our affairs together as a nation. Hence, as the first step in our commitment, we are presenting to the public Bills and proposals, which will are pushing on the floor floor of the 10th Assembly. 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 6 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.

“Therefore, the bills presented today will address that proposal

On Governance, we are proposing:

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.

“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. 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.

“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.

“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 (or 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.

“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; Amending 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 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.

“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 litigations must be resolved and determined by the Elections Petitions Tribunal, Appeal Courts, etc., before the winners are sworn into the respective elective offices.

“An Amendment of 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.

“We want to conclude this press conference by greeting all Nigerians of all walks of life on this historic day: our men and women in the different sectors of the Economy, our vibrant young people, persons with disabilities, our law enforcement agencies, our traditional rulers, fathers of our communities and custodians of our cultural heritage, our religious leaders, custodians of faith and morals, our effective civil society organizations”, Ugochinyere added.

He therefore urged all to work towards achieving this.

“This 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,” he added.

Members of the group believe that the bill when passed into law will attempt to cure some defects.

The bill according to them summarises unity and peace of Nigeria.

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Ex SGF Babachir reveals what Buhari told him about Tinubu before his demise

Published

1 hour ago

April 21, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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Former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal has shared details of a private conversation he had with late President Muhammadu Buhari about his political ties and disagreements involving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Recall that Lawal spoke in an interview on Channels Television, where he said the conversation happened shortly before Buhari’s death.

He explained that Buhari warned him about possible political disagreements that could come up between him and Tinubu in the future.

According to him, the late president said such situations were likely but should be handled carefully.

He said Buhari advised that any clash in political views should remain focused on governance and public issues.

The former president, he added, made it clear that personal attacks should be avoided, and discussions should remain centered on national matters rather than personal matters.

Lawal said he accepted the advice and made a promise to follow it. He explained that since then, he has tried to keep his public comments about Tinubu within political issues only, without bringing in personal matters.

He added that Buhari told him he might end up in political disagreement with someone he considered a friend, but he should avoid turning it into something personal. Lawal said he agreed to that guidance at the time and has tried to respect it in his political activities.

Quoting his exchange with Buhari, Lawal said the late president told him, “You are going to fight your friend politically; please promise me you will not go personal with your fight.”

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BREAKING! APC 2027: ‘Consensus Ticket Requires Consent of All Aspirants’ Says National Chair

Published

2 hours ago

April 21, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has stated that the party can only adopt a consensus candidate where all aspirants voluntarily agree to the arrangement.

Speaking on the party’s nomination process, the chairman emphasized that consensus candidacy is not imposed but must be the product of mutual consent among all contenders seeking the ticket.

In a statement, the chairman clarified that any consensus candidate must have backing of all the contenders.

— Prof. Nentawe

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NCC, CBN sign pact to strengthen consumer protection, curb fraud

Published

2 hours ago

April 21, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to boost consumer protection.

NCC spokesperson, Nnenna Ukoha, disclosed this in a statement on Monday in Abuja.

She said the agreement would also combat fraud across telecommunications and financial sectors.
Ukoha said the MoU was formalised alongside inauguration of joint committees on payment systems, consumer protection, and the Telecoms Identity Risk Management System portal.

NCC Executive Vice Chairman, Aminu Maida, said the pact provided a framework for collaboration on payment integrity, fraud mitigation, digital inclusion, and consumer protection.
He said the initiative would deliver outcomes that strengthen trust, deepen inclusion, and support a secure digital economy.
Maida described the signing as a milestone, reflecting both institutions’ commitment to financial stability and consumer protection in an interconnected ecosystem.

“The Commission places significant importance on collaboration. Many milestones in addressing industry challenges came through strategic partnerships,” he said.

He recalled NCC and CBN intervention in resolving the USSD debt impasse, restoring confidence among consumers, telecom operators, and financial institutions.

According to him, the MoU will promote secure digital payments and expand access to underserved populations and small businesses.

Maida said the TIRMS portal would help curb electronic fraud by offering real-time insights into phone number status.
“This includes whether a line is active, swapped, disconnected, reassigned, or flagged for suspicious activity.

“This will significantly improve financial institutions’ ability to combat phone-linked fraud,” he said.
He said the collaboration would also ensure prompt resolution of consumer complaints, including failed airtime recharges.

CBN Governor, Olayemi Cardoso, said the MoU would improve coordination on approvals, standards, and innovation, including sandbox testing.
Cardoso reaffirmed the bank’s commitment to building a safer, more resilient, and inclusive digital financial system.

“Going forward, the Central Bank remains committed to working with the Commission to protect consumers and strengthen trust in the digital economy,” he said.
He inaugurated the joint committees, noting they would prioritise consumer protection and fraud prevention.

The initiative is expected to boost confidence while addressing risks in converging telecoms and financial services.