Kalu backs Atiku’s call for rotational presidency

INDEPENDENT NG
Barely 24 hours after former Vice President Atiku Abubakar called for rotational presidency of six-year single term each, Global Initiatives for Good Governance (GIGG), a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO), has backed his position.

The group led by Dr. Emeka Kalu, Director-General, GIGG, said that rotational presidency would reshape the country and quicken development across the country.

The group also posited that this would ensure that all the six geo-political zones of the country had access to the presidency.

Kalu appealed to the National Assembly to consider this proposal from Atiku by ensuring that this suggestion was legitimately enshrined in the proposed amendment.

According to Kalu, Atiku had shown his unbiased sense of commitment to justice and equity where the nation’s multi-ethnic diversities would be given equal opportunity to participate in national governance if passed by the National Assembly and assented to by the president.

He said: “If actualised, this Atiku’s proposal for constitutional amendment to capture rotational presidency between the Southern and Northern regions would enable each of the six geo-political zones the power to produce the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria remains the only ripen fruit our democracy would be believed to have harvested in the history of Nigeria.

“The 2023 Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate has shown his unbiased sense of commitment to justice and equity where the nation’s multi-ethnic diversities would be given equal opportunity to participate in national governance.”

The group regretted that marginalisation, poorly implemented federal character principles and the agitations for equity had continued to spark civil unrest in the country, thereby leading to the various violent cases of civil disorder, terrorism and other pockets of criminalities.

Kalu explained that if the proposal was successfully implemented, it could help to nip the crises in the bud, while also birthing a newly redefined Nigeria where peaceful co-existence, unity and mutual relationship across tribal lines could be achieved.

Kalu argued that for Atiku to had proposed rotational presidency, it spoke volume of his character as a mentally articulate, democratically unselfish, politically mature and philosophically balanced in giving the country his best when a chance to preside over the nation’s affairs was accorded him.

He added: “In my book titled ‘Atiku Abubakar, the Man for Nigeria,’ I made Nigerians realise the fact that the Waziri Adamawa is such a detribalised political thinker whose ambitions of working to become the President was anchored on liberating the nation from the shackles of burning economic entrapment, political inequality, insecurity, food crisis and poor industrialisation.

“His antecedents speak for him while his track records of integrity and experience in public space stands his names tall on the sand of time and history,” he added.

The group insisted that its position was neither a subtle campaign to popularise Atiku’s interest nor making a case for his 2027 presidential ambition, but was aim to ensure a better Nigeria for all.

Atiku had as part of his recommendation to constitutional amendments on Wednesday, written to the National Assembly, requesting an alteration to the constitution to allow for a six-year single term for the president and governors.

In a memorandum to the Senate Committee on Constitutional Review, Atiku also proposed that the presidency be rotated between the North and South.