Barau, Gbajabiamila, Anyim, others advocate rotational presidency
Prominent serving and former federal lawmakers, including Deputy President of the Senate, Barau I. Jibrin; former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; and former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, have called for the entrenchment of rotational presidency in Nigeria’s Constitution to promote equity and balance in […]
barau, gbajabiamila
Prominent serving and former federal lawmakers, including Deputy President of the Senate, Barau I. Jibrin; former Speaker of the House of Representatives and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila; and former Senate President, Anyim Pius Anyim, have called for the entrenchment of rotational presidency in Nigeria’s Constitution to promote equity and balance in power sharing between the North and the South.
The call is coming as the National Assembly gears up to vote on the constitution amendment bills upon resumption from their recess.
They made their position known on Saturday at the 2026 National Summit of Former Legislators, themed “National Unity and Nation Building: Beyond 2031,” held in Abuja.
The summit was organised by the National Forum of Former Legislators (NFFL), with Gbajabiamila as convener, and attracted former lawmakers across party lines, including former Senate Presidents Pius Anyim and Ken Nnamani, as well as former Speakers of the House of Representatives Patricia Etteh and Yakubu Dogara, among others.
Speaking at the event, Gbajabiamila endorsed the principle of rotational presidency between the North and the South, describing it as a wise and principled compromise designed to manage Nigeria’s diversity, ease political tensions and preserve national stability.
He cautioned that personal ambition should not be allowed to undermine arrangements that sustain unity and peace.
Gbajabiamila called on Nigerians across political, ethnic and regional divides to recommit to national unity, describing it as a strategic necessity for the country’s survival and progress in an increasingly volatile global environment.
He noted that the summit was holding at a time of global uncertainty, when long-standing assumptions were being challenged and international stability weakened, stressing that such moments demanded experienced leadership and reflective national dialogue.
In the same vein, Anyim supported the call for rotational presidency. “If we all agree that rotation is good, why should we not constitutionalise it?” he queried.
Also speaking, Senator Barau Jibrin, backed the calls for rotational presidency, noting that the arrangement had brought stability since the advent of the Fourth Republic.
Responding to requests from the Forum’s leadership, Barau pledged to forward the proposal for rotational presidency to the National Assembly. “I will certainly do that,” he assured.
Earlier, the National Coordinator of the 2026 NFFL Summit, Raphael Igbokwe, said the Forum supports rotational presidency as a means of ensuring unity, sense of belonging and balance in power sharing in the country.
In a communiqué issued at the end of the summit, the Forum endorsed President Tinubu as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 general poll.
Reading the communiqué, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Babangida Nguroje, said the resolutions were guided by the principles of accuracy, inclusiveness and the need to strengthen democratic governance in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society.