ABUJA: A proposed bill to amend Nigeria’s Constitution and introduce a single six-year term for the president and state governors has been rejected by the House of Representatives.
The bill, introduced by Honourable Ikenga Ugochinyere, aimed to restructure the country’s political framework by recognizing Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, ensuring rotation of leadership positions such as president, state governors, and local government chairmen among these zones. It also proposed holding all national elections on a single day.
However, when the bill was brought to a vote for its second reading, a majority of lawmakers opposed it.
This is not the first time a proposal for a single six-year term for the president and governors has been dismissed. In 2019, a similar bill sponsored by John Dyegh from Benue State failed to pass the second reading.
Dyegh’s version also proposed extending the term of National Assembly members and State Assembly representatives to six years, arguing that longer terms would allow legislators to gain more experience and reduce the high costs and violence associated with re-election campaigns.
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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had also previously advocated for constitutional amendments to allow for a six-year single term for the president, particularly in the context of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones, alongside reforms like mandatory electronic voting and stricter candidate credential verification by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Earlier this year, Anambra State Governor, Prof Chukwuma Soludo, lent his support to the idea of a single-term presidency, suggesting that it would free elected officials from the pressures of re-election, enabling them to focus on governance.
