House of Representative deputy speaker, Lasun Yussuff, on Thursday, unveiled plans to sponsor a bill that seeks to prohibit any person who had held office as acting President for two years and re-elected as President to hold office more than one term of four years.
This was to forestall the political crisis that necessitated the declaration of ‘Doctrine of Necessity’ by the National Assembly in 2009, when the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua was incapacitated and later died.
Following the declaration of the ‘Doctrine of Necessity,’ Jonathan, who was the Vice President, assumed office as acting President and was later sworn in as substantive President following the eventual demise of President Yar’Adua.
The bill is also applicable to anyone governor of a state or governor of a state for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected governor, shall be elected to the office of governor of a state more than once.
According to a statement issued by Wole Oladimeji, chief press secretary to the deputy speaker, “the aim of the bill, which has scaled the first reading on the floor of the House, is to give constitutional protection to the two-term tradition.
“No person who had held office of president or governor of a State or acting as president or governor of a state for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected president or governor, shall be elected to the office of President or governor of a state more than once.”
He explained, “by virtue of the combine provisions of sections 137(1b) and 182(1b) of the constitution, the President of Nigeria and governor of a state shall serve in those capacities for a maximum period of eight years.
“However, the constitution equally envisaged circumstances where a person can be chosen to act as president or governor. These include: when the president or a governor resign dies or is impeached.
“If the bill is passed, when a person is chosen to act as president or governor of a state and the person serve for more than two years in a four years term, that person shall only be eligible for contest election to the same office only once.
“This amendment, he said, was inspired by the 22nd amendment to the constitution of the United States of America which provides: “No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice and no person who has held office of President or acted as President for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected President shall be elected to the office of President more than once.
“Besides, the Deputy Speaker explained that the bill is also sponsoring another bill seeking among other things to compel president and governor to attach intended portfolio of office of all ministerial nominees and Commissioner nominees before submission to the legislature for screening.
“Rt. Hon Lasun Yussuff also sponsored another bill seeks to compel presidential and gubernatorial candidate of all political parties to nominate running mate from another region other than his own.
“The three bills, the fourth constitution alteration bill (rework version) and others are some of the bills that the House would give priority to if it resumes from its annual recess,” the statement read.
