Nigeria's 11th Senate to consider six-year single term for president, governors

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has announced plans to sponsor a bill proposing a single six-year term for Nigeria's president and state governors, following the 2027 general elections. Bamidele stated that this legislation would be among the first he intends to introduce when the 11th Senate is inaugurated. He argued that the current two-term system often leads elected officials to prioritize re-election campaigns over governance, consuming a significant portion of their first term. "One of the first set of bills that I look forward to moving, by God’s grace, when we come back for the 11th Senate, God willing, is for a bill that will only make it possible for anyone who wants to be president of this country, or governor in any part of this country, to spend only one term of six years," he said. Bamidele believes a single tenure would remove distractions associated with seeking a second term. "So that you don’t even have to worry about wasting almost one and a half years of your first term thinking and struggling and looking forward to how you’ll be re-elected," he 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." The Senate Leader recognized that the proposal might not gain universal acceptance but asserted that lawmakers have a duty to initiate reforms they deem beneficial for strengthening governance. "That’s my opinion. It doesn’t mean everybody will agree with me. But it also does not mean that I am prevented from doing that because that has not been the law," he stated. Bamidele emphasized that laws should adapt to evolving realities and public needs, comparing laws to living entities. "The essence of law, the essence of parliament, is that laws are like human beings; they grow," he added. If passed by the National Assembly, the proposal would necessitate constitutional amendments to take effect.

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One of the first set of bills that I look forward to moving, by God’s grace, when we come back for the 11th Senate, God willing, is for a bill that will only make it possible for anyone who wants to be president of this country, or governor in any part of this country, to spend only one term of six years.