UPDATE: Confab Approves Rotation of Presidency, Governorship, State Creation.
Delegates at the ongoing National Conference have accepted the recommendation for the rotation of the presidency between the North and South and among the six geo-political zones.
It has also approved the rotation of governorship seat among the senatorial districts in each state of Nigeria.
The Committee co-chaired by Ike Nwachukwu and Mohammed Kumalia had on Monday presented its report to the conference.
Submitting its report on rotational of elective positions the committee said: “The Committee examined the reports of the National Political Reform Conference and the report of the Presidential Committee on Review of outstanding issues from recent Constitutional Conferences 2012 (the Belgore Report) and after wide consultations and extensive deliberations and in the interest of equity, justices and fairness.”
On the committee recommendation, the Conference agreed that there should be principle of zoning and rotation of elective offices at the federal and state levels on the basis of excellence, equity, gender justice and fairness.
Earlier, the Committee had recommended that the Electoral Act and the Constitution of Political Parties should provide Principle of zoning / rotation of elective offices at the federal and state levels on the basis of equity, justice and fairness
On the creation of more states as recommended, Conference, noted that any new states to be created should be economically viable or potentially viable and should have human, natural and material resources. It also resolved that that a new state should have minimum population of one million persons.
It rejected an amendment that said the National Assembly by resolution passed by a simple majority or membership should approve the merger of states and that the merged states shall exist as a region.
The following states were approved by the Confab; Ghari from Kano, Etiti from South East, Aba from Abia, Adada from Enugu, Njaba-Anim from Anambra and Imo, Apa from Benue State, Katagum from Bauchi, Kanji from Kebbi, Savannah from Borno, Amana from Adamawa, Gurara from Kaduna,
The others are; IJebu from Ogun State, New Oyo State from the present Oyo State, Anioma from Delta State, Orashi from Rivers State and Ogoja from Cross River State,
The Conference is to later determine the names of the remaining two other states and their capitals, which are to be created in the South-South and South West zones.
The Conference rejected a single term of six years and a unicameral legislature for the country, but accepted a recommendation that there should be quarterly question time for the President and question time for ministers at the legislature to enhance accountability.