The people of the South-East have called for a new constitution that supports a rotational presidency and gives full control to local governments across Nigeria.
This request was made at the South-East Zonal Public Hearing on the Review of the 1999 Constitution, which was held by the Senate in Enugu on Friday. The meeting gathered political leaders, traditional rulers, civil society groups, and other concerned citizens to share their views on how to improve the nation’s constitution.
Governor Peter Mbah of Enugu State, through the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, noted that rotational presidency was very important to the South-East.
He explained that the state strongly believes each of the six geopolitical zones should take turns holding the presidency. This, he said, would give every part of the country a fair shot at leadership and reduce political tension.
“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.
Governor Mbah also talked about the importance of giving full independence to local governments. He argued that allowing state governors to pick caretaker committees instead of holding local elections limits development at the grassroots.
“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.
He also noted that the central government still holds too much power, which slows down progress at the state level. According to him, a better federal system should allow states to make more decisions and manage more resources.
“A true federal system requires that states are autonomous entities with sufficient powers and resources to positively impact the lives of their citizens,” he said.
In a similar statement, Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, who was represented by the Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Moses Odunwa, backed the call for more inclusion. He supported the demand for one more state in the South-East, saying it would help balance the number of states across all regions.
“If a particular seat has been designated for women, all the parties will feature women candidates to fill in the space,” he added.
The Chairman of the South-East Zonal Public Hearing, Senator Peter Nwaebonyi, noted that they were in Enugu to collect public opinion on what changes should be made to the 1999 Constitution. He said the region’s call for fairness was valid since it has fewer states than other zones.
