Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, recently revealed plans to sponsor a constitution amendment bill to introduce a single six-year tenure for presidents and governors in Nigeria after the 2027 general election. According to him, the current constitution arrangement, which allows for presidents and governors to serve two four-year terms, often compels political office-holders to begin strategising for re-election after assuming office. This, he said, diverted attention from governance. He believes his proposed bill will ostensibly remove the pressure and distractions associated with seeking re-election.
Opeyemi explained: “If you know you are there for six years, only one tenure, you put in your best from day one. You know this is the only chance that you have.” His proposal is not entirely new. Some other Nigerians have made such calls since 1999. Besides, the bill has been debated in several constitutional conferences and debated at the National Assembly for not less than six times. It seeks to alter Section 135 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) which stipulates that the president’s term of office is four years starting from the date he took oath of office.
The 1994/1995 Constitutional Conference, convened by the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha, recommended a single five-year tenure for president and governors. The recommendation did not see the light of the day. The Olusegun Obasanjo administration advocated for the idea and included it in a controversial draft constitution in the 2005 National Political Reform Conference (NPRC), but the majority of the delegates rejected it. They voted to retain the existing two four-year terms.
In December 2019, the House of Representatives rejected a similar bill sponsored by John Dyegh from Benue State. The House also rejected it in November 2024.
Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the 2027 election, Atiku Abukakar, made the same proposal of single six-year tenure for president and governors. He also advocated for rotational presidency among the six geopolitical zones of the country.
Its major advantage is to stop the desperation for second term and cut the wastage over having election every four years. Single term of six years will make it easier for power rotation among the six geopolitical zones and among the three senatorial zones in each state.
Apart from curbing waste of public funds on early re-election strategy, it is seen as a mechanism to promote national cohesion and reduce political tension, as it limits the fierce competition and polarisation tied to incumbent re-election. Despite its advantages, its critics contend that long non-renewable tenures might reduce accountability, as voters lose the right and power to use the ballot box to reject underperforming leaders.
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Some opponents also express concerns about tenure elongation, especially now that the ruling party has absolute majority in the parliament. There are fears that it has the potential to disrupt regional power rotation arrangements if not adequately handled. Others see it as self-serving. Some zones have done eight years in the presidency. This bill, they believe, wants to reduce it to six for other zones yet to occupy the presidency.
Questions have also arisen about what happens to those who have only done one term when the proposed law will commence. Will such people not agitate to complete their second term like others? Some people will definitely kick against it.
Also, fears abound that the proposal may be another way of entrenching constitutional coups which some sit-tight African leaders staged to perpetuate their stay in power. Such leaders as Yoweri Museveni of Uganda, Paul Biya of Cameroon and Paul Kagame of Rwanda changed their countries constitutional provision on term limit to continue in power.
In spite of the merits and demerits of the bill, those aspiring for leadership positions should know why they want to be leaders. It is important for us to have visionary and servant-leaders whether it is six-year tenure or four-year two terms tenure. The bane of our democracy is having many selfish and uncaring leaders. Unless we change our attitude to governance, we will continue to get bad leaders whether it is six years or eight years. The fault is in us and not in the duration of government.
For inclusion and unity, let’s give the six-year single tenure a trial. It will reduce the tensions associated with the quest for power at the centre. However, in approving the six-year tenure, there must be a provision forbidding those in office now from doing two terms of four years each but a fresh six years in office.
Such provision will stop tenure elongation and self-perpetuation by current occupiers of the offices involved.
We also recommend that in order to give all Nigerians a sense of belonging, a power rotation arrangement among the six geopolitical zones must be entrenched in the Constitution.
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