It is about time we realised that the world has not only become a global village, but also that no part of this village can be ignored.
On this strength, the political class in Nigeria must understand that every community is becoming increasingly aware of both global and national happenings, and no part of the country can afford to either be ignored or neglected.
To do so would be to court grave danger to our unity and integration. It is time to end the dominance of any one part of the country over the rest, because the flame with the capacity to consume can erupt from anywhere.
More than sixty years after independence, Nigeria is still struggling with the fundamental question of how to build an inclusive and stable political system that reflects its diversity. The presidency, the most powerful office in the land, has too often been at the center of tension, its control disproportionately concentrated in certain regions, leaving others feeling marginalized, shortchanged, and excluded from the mainstream. This recurring cycle of exclusion has widened distrust, deepened ethnic suspicion, and reinforced our fragile fault lines.
It is against this backdrop that I strongly believe, and agree with every progressive argument, that Nigeria should adopt a rotational presidency among the six geo-political regions. This is not just a political experiment; it is a tested formula for fairness, balance, and long-term stability in a plural society like ours.
Constitutionalizing rotational presidency will not only fast-track the development of the country but also provide an opportunity for the yearnings of every region to be met. If, when it is your region’s turn, you devote at least half of your presidency to developing your home region while still prioritizing national security, foreign affairs, and integration, so be it. Such an arrangement would ensure that no part of Nigeria remains perpetually neglected. It would also guarantee that the peculiar challenges of each region, whether insecurity, desertification, environmental degradation, or infrastructural gaps, receive direct presidential attention.
Only a rotational presidency will fast-track development and strengthen unity in our heterogeneous and multi-ethnic country. It would send a clear signal to all Nigerians that leadership is not the exclusive preserve of one region, religion, or ethnic bloc, but a shared responsibility and privilege.
Critics often argue that competence, not rotation, should determine leadership. While this sounds noble in theory, it ignores Nigeria’s reality. There is no village in this country today without brilliant, competent men and women who could serve as president or occupy importance offices. Too often, the competence argument has been deployed as a smokescreen to justify the continued dominance of certain regions.
History has shown that the concentration of power in a few regions fuels resentment, alienation, and instability. By rotating the presidency, we not only give every Nigerian a sense of belonging but also encourage each region to put forward its very best candidates. Competence and rotation are not mutually exclusive, they can, and must, go hand in hand.
For decades, Nigeria has operated on an unwritten North-South understanding in the sharing of presidential power. But this has proven inadequate, easily manipulated, and prone to controversy. What Nigeria needs now is to move beyond this simplistic two-way split and adopt a constitutional provision for rotation among the six geo-political regions.
When it is the turn of the South-East, for example, all political parties should be constitutionally bound to field their presidential candidates from that region. This would reduce political rancor, eliminate unnecessary zoning disputes, and concentrate political energy on the region whose turn it is to produce the next president. Such an arrangement would ease national political tensions, provide predictability, and build trust among Nigerians.
At this critical stage of our history, we must think creatively about how to keep Nigeria united and progressive. Rotational presidency may not be a perfect solution, but it might just be the practical answer to our long-standing struggle for equity and inclusion in leadership.
After all, a nation as diverse as Nigeria cannot thrive on exclusion. We can only build a stronger, more united country when every region has its fair share of leadership at the very top. Everybody must feel among and accepted.
