Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has described the House of Representatives’ rejection of a bill proposing a six-year term for Nigerian presidents and governors as a mistake.
Atiku’s position was made known by his media aide, Paul Ibe on Thursday, November 21.
The bill, sponsored by the member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere, along with 33 other legislators, was struck out during Thursday’s plenary session.
In a memorandum addressed to the National Assembly in October, Atiku proposed a rotational presidency between the Northern and Southern regions of the country.
According to him, the bill, if passed, would have strengthened democracy in both word and deed. He expressed sadness over the lawmakers’ decision to reject it.
He said, “It is sad that it was rejected. We need to ensure that the laws we make promote the well-being of Nigerians and strengthen democracy in both word and deed.”
Describing the rejection as a mistake, Atiku stated: “That is what this law was meant to do. Unfortunately, the House did not see this. It is unfortunate, and we hope it is revisited so they can realize that they have made a mistake.”
Atiku’s remarks follow his earlier criticism of the National Assembly for approving President Bola Tinubu’s request to borrow ₦1.7 trillion.
In a post on his official X handle, the former vice president lamented that Nigeria is plunging deeper into debt and questioned why lawmakers had turned themselves into accomplices.
He also expressed concern over Nigeria’s ranking as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), as reported by the World Bank.