Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has revealed plans to sponsor a bill seeking to replace Nigeria’s current two-term system with a single six-year tenure for presidents and governors.
Speaking with journalists in his office on Tuesday, Bamidele said the proposed legislation would be one of the first bills he intends to introduce in the next Senate after the 2027 general elections.
According to him, the move is aimed at reducing the distractions associated with re-election campaigns and allowing elected leaders to concentrate fully on governance.
Nigeria currently operates a constitutional system that allows presidents and governors to serve a maximum of two four-year terms. However, Bamidele argued that many officeholders begin focusing on re-election long before completing their first term, often at the expense of delivering on their mandates.
“One of the first bills I hope to sponsor in the next Senate is one that will make it possible for any president or governor to serve only a single term of six years,” he said.
He explained that the proposal would give leaders enough time to implement their programmes without the pressure of seeking a second term.
“You won’t have to spend almost half of your first tenure thinking about how to get re-elected. If you know you have just one six-year term, you are more likely to give your best from day one because that is your only opportunity to serve,” he added.
Bamidele acknowledged that the proposal may not receive universal support but insisted that lawmakers have a responsibility to introduce ideas they believe can improve governance and strengthen democracy.
“That is my opinion. Not everyone will agree with it, but that does not stop me from pursuing it through legislation,” he said.
Read Also:
Bamidele Proposes Single Six-Year Tenure for Presidents and Governors
The Senate leader also noted that laws are meant to evolve with changing realities.
“The essence of lawmaking is growth. Laws, like human beings, must develop over time,” he stated.
The proposal is expected to revive a long-standing debate over political tenure in Nigeria. Advocates of a single tenure system argue that it would eliminate the distractions of re-election politics, reduce the misuse of state resources during campaigns and encourage long-term planning.
The idea has been discussed at different times since Nigeria returned to democratic rule in 1999.
Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has also previously supported a six-year single term for presidents and governors. He proposed that the presidency should rotate among the country’s six geopolitical zones and said constitutional reforms would be a priority if elected.
Opponents of the proposal, however, argue that the current two-term arrangement gives voters the opportunity to either reward performing leaders with a second mandate or remove those who fail to meet expectations.
For the proposal to become law, it would require a constitutional amendment approved by the National Assembly and endorsed by at least two-thirds of the state Houses of Assembly.
