15/09/2026
DLA Chairman Proposes Rotational Presidency, Says Nigeria’s Democracy Must Reflect Diversity..
Nasarawa — As Nigeria joins the world to mark the International Day of Democracy, the State Chairman of the Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA) in Nasarawa State, Dauda Ablaku, has called for a constitutional rotational presidency between the North and South, arguing that Nigeria’s current presidential model is being undermined by ethnic, regional and religious identity politics.
In a statement titled “Rethinking Nigerian Democracy on the International Day of Democracy,” Ablaku said Nigeria’s deep diversity strongly influences its politics, and that presidential elections often become contests of identity rather than competence. He said voters often support candidates perceived as “one of their own,” while others vote in protest out of fear of ethnic, regional or religious domination.
“We must therefore ask: Should we continue to operate the same democratic or presidential model while expecting a different political outcome?” he said.
He argued that while democratic principles are universal, no single model of democracy fits all societies, and that democracy must reflect the peculiarity of the society it serves.
Under his proposed rotational arrangement, the presidency would rotate between the North and South, with each region limited to a maximum of eight years—two four-year terms. During each election cycle, all political parties would field presidential candidates from the same region and religious category. This, he said, would largely remove ethnicity, region and religion from the presidential contest and compel Nigerians to focus on competence, character, track record, ideas and vision.
Ablaku also proposed a clear succession arrangement to prevent unexpected vacancies from disrupting regional balance.
If a president vacates office through death, impeachment, resignation or incapacity, the vice president would act for a maximum of three months. Within that window, a new president from the same region and religious background as the outgoing president would be elected to complete the unexpired term.
He said this would prevent sudden regional power shifts.
Responding to critics who argue that democracy is about majoritarianism and that zoning restricts the pool of top-tier aspirants, Ablaku said all six geopolitical zones in Nigeria have an abundance of qualified candidates capable of leading effectively.
He further argued that the conventional defence of majoritarianism collapses under the weight of a “false majority.” Citing the 2023 presidential election, he said the two leading opposition candidates, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, collectively secured 13,086,053 votes, outperforming the winner’s tally by 4,291,327 votes. Together, he said, they got an absolute majority of 54.47% of the total vote.
According to him, the fragmentation enabled the ruling party to secure executive power with just 36.61%, meaning 63.39% of participating citizens voted for alternative candidates. He described the figures as a stark governance challenge and said they reinforced the perception of a manufactured majority.
Ablaku said opposition to a rotational presidency often stems from—and deepens—the exact mutual suspicions of regional and religious domination that threaten Nigeria’s political stability.
“On this International Day of Democracy, perhaps we should ask not whether Nigeria needs democracy, but whether our democracy needs to evolve to better reflect Nigeria,” he said. “Acknowledging Nigeria’s diversity is not a weakness; it is the beginning of realistic nation-building.”
