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Review of Nigerian Constitution: South East Demands Rotational Presidency
Residents of the South East geo-political region have demanded a constitution that allows rotational presidency, which also grants full autonomy to local governments in the country.
They made the request on Friday, during the South-East Zonal Public Hearing on Review of the 1999 Constitution, organised by the Senate in Enugu.
Speaking during the exercise, Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State noted that the concept of rotational presidency was of paramount importance to the South-East.
The governor said the state believed that adopting a rotational presidency among the six geopolitical zones would provide every region, including the South-East, a fair chance at the highest office in the country.
Mbah, represented by the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, added that the idea would foster a greater sense of belonging and national unity.
“Similarly, we propose that governorship should rotate among senatorial zones and legislative seats among constituencies, ensuring broader representation and participation at all levels of governance.
“To further enhance inclusivity, particularly for women, we advocate for one additional Senate seat per state for women and two additional House of Representatives seats per state for women.
“As a state, we advocate for three additional Assembly seats per state for women.
“This measure will significantly boost gender parity and ensure active participation of women in governance and in decision-making processes,” Mbah said.
The governor also called for institutionalisation of local government councils as a truly autonomous level of government.
According to him, the current practice where state governors appoint caretaker committees for LGs, instead of the council being run by elected representatives, hinder grassroots development.
“We urge the committee to reinforce the 1999 Constitution to ensure the democratic existence of local governments, allowing them to directly access their funds from the National Consolidated Account,” he added.
The governor also called for legislative powers, enhancements, and fiscal reforms that would devolve more powers and resources to the states.
He stressed that the current concentration of power at the centre, a legacy of the military rule, had stifled the growth and development of sub-national entities.
“A true federal system requires that states are autonomous entities with sufficient powers and resources to positively impact the lives of their citizens.”
On his part, the Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State called for creation of an additional state in the South-East to bring the region at par with other geopolitical zones of the country.
Nwifuru, represented by the Speaker, Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Mr Moses Odunwa, also called for reserved political seats for women.
“If a particular seat has been designated for women, all the parties will feature women candidates to fill in the space,” he said.
Earlier, the chairman of South-East Zonal Public Hearing on Review of 1999 Constitution, Peter Nwaebonyi disclosed they they were in Enugu to get the inputs of people of the Southeast as they further amend the 1999 constitution.
He noted that while some zones have 7 and 6 states, the Southeast has only 5 states and therefore advised the people to make contributions.
The public hearing was attended by government officials, traditional rulers, NGOs and the civil society organisations.
The Supreme Court has vacated the order of the Court of Appeal which barred the recognition of David Mark as the National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
The apex court on Thursday held that the preservative order by the Court of Appeal was in bad faith, unnecessary, unwarranted and improper.
In a unanimous judgment of the Supreme Court, Justice Mohammed Lawal Garba held that the Court of Appeal ought not to have made such order because it was not sought by any of the parties in the matter.
The Court of Appeal had issued an order of status quo antem bellum upon which the ADC exco under David Mark was de-recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
With the vacation of the order, David Mark and the other national officers are to be recognized as ADC leaders by the electoral body.
The convention produced the Tanimu Turaki-led factional national executives of the party.
Attention has shifted to the Supreme Court, which has fixed April 30 (today) for judgment in the leadership tussle within the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
A five-member panel led by Justice Mohammed Garba will resolve the appeal filed by the David Mark-led faction concerning the authentic leadership of the party.
Also on Thursday, the court is expected to determine the leadership dispute rocking the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Two PDP factions—one led by Kabir Turaki and the other by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike—are laying claim to the leadership of the party.
The Supreme Court had on April 22 reserved judgment in the ADC crisis to a date to be communicated to the parties involved in the tussle.
However, on Tuesday, the ADC formally wrote to the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, pleading for the quick delivery of judgment in the leadership tussle at the national level.
The party claimed it would suffer irreparable harm if judgment in the protracted battle was not delivered within the period allowed by the Electoral Act for fielding candidates for the 2027 general elections.
It stated in part: “Without the delivery of judgment within the next three days from the date of this letter, the ADC stands the grave and irreversible risk of being excluded from participating in the 2027 general elections.
“This would disenfranchise millions of Nigerians who have subscribed to the ideals of the ADC and deny them their constitutional right to freely associate and contest elections through a political party of their choice.”
At the April 22 hearing, Jibrin Okutepa, SAN, who represented David Mark, urged the Supreme Court to allow the appeal, arguing that the apex court had earlier, on March 21, 2025, held that “no court has jurisdiction to entertain matters bordering on the internal affairs of political parties.”
During the hearing, Okutepa urged the apex court to hold that the Federal High Court in Abuja lacked jurisdiction to entertain the suit.
However, Robert Emukperu, SAN, who represented the first respondent, Nafiu Gombe, urged the court to dismiss the appeal and affirm the judgment of the lower court, which held that the suit was premature.
It will be recalled that a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal dismissed Mark’s appeal, ruling that it was premature and filed without leave of the trial court.
In the PDP matter, the first appeal, marked SC/CV/164/2026, stems from a decision of Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who restrained the party from proceeding with its planned convention pending the determination of a suit filed by former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido.
On November 14, the court issued a final order restraining the PDP from conducting its national convention.
Justice Lifu held that Lamido was “unjustly denied” the opportunity to obtain a nomination form to contest for national chairman, in violation of the PDP constitution and internal regulations.
The Court of Appeal later upheld the decision on March 9, prompting the PDP to appeal.
The second appeal, SC/CV/166/2026, was filed by the PDP, its National Working Committee (NWC), and National Executive Committee (NEC).
It arose from a judgment delivered by Justice James Omotosho, which stopped the party from holding its Ibadan national convention.
The Court of Appeal upheld that decision, agreeing that INEC should not validate the outcome of the convention.
After hearing all arguments, the Supreme Court reserved judgment, stating that the date would be communicated to the parties.
