The people of South-East, on Friday, demanded for a constitution that allows rotation of presidency and full autonomy to local governments in the country.
They made the demand during the South-East Zonal Public Hearing on Review of 1999 Constitution, organised by the Senate in Enugu.
The chairman of South-East Zonal Public Hearing on Review of 1999 Constitution, Peter Nwaebonyi, had in his opening remarks, disclosed that they were in Enugu to get the inputs of people of the Southeast as they further amend the 1999 constitution.
He noted that while some zones have 7 and 6 states, the Southeast has only 5 states and therefore advised the people to make contributions.
Speaking, Gov. Peter Mbah of Enugu State noted that rotational presidency was of paramount importance to the Southeast.
The governor said the state believed that adopting a rotational presidency among the six geopolitical zones would provide every region, including the Southeast, a fair chance at the highest office in the land.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the Enugu State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, stated that the idea would foster a greater sense of belonging and national unity.
"Similarly, we propose that governorship should rotate among senatorial zones and legislative seats among constituencies, ensuring broader representation and participation at all levels of governance.
"To further enhance inclusivity, particularly for women, we propose legislative seats. We advocate for one additional Senate seat per state for women and two additional House of Representatives seats per state.
"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.
The governor also called for institutionalisation of Local Government Councils as a truly autonomous form of government team.
"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," Mbah said.
On his part, Gov. Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, called for creation of an additional state in the Southeast to make them at par with other geopolitical zones of the country.
Nwifuru, represented by the Speaker, Ebonyi State House of Assembly, Mr Moses Odunwa, also urged for women inclusiveness and reserved political seats for women.
"If a particular seat has been designated for women, all the parties will feature women candidates to fill in the space," he said.
The public hearing was attended by government officials, traditional rulers, NGOs and civil society organisations.