Lawyers, activists, and other stakeholders are advocating a single term of six years for
The president and governors in Nigeria, rather than two tenures of four years each, to help restrain the huge public funds they spend on re-election campaigns after completing their first tenure.
Some, however, argued that the country’s problem is not the tenure of the president and governors, but a lack of strong democratic institutions and proper legal frameworks with unbending measures to control excessive spending during electioneering.
A single six-year term is ideal — Eromosele, attorney
According to Saint Moses Eromosele, an attorney and executive director of the Oneghe Sele Foundation in Benin City, Edo State, “Nigeria is better served by a single six-year term because it is more focused.
Elections every four years are only appropriate for highly developed democracies like the United States and others. For nations having development difficulties, it disrupts the government and diverts attention. And because the incumbent will stop at nothing to retain their position, including spending public money, there is disruption of governance, abuse of public funds, and state power.
Incumbents will abuse power to make sure they win; that has happened over and over again, and don’t forget that former President Goodluck Jonathan once advocated for this. I believe that this was what he saw.
I expect the National Assembly to make our constitution reflect a single six-year tenure, as it is in China so that we have a more focused leadership; it will encourage legacy building, reduce electoral violence, and prevent what promotes violence. There is no argument against it; that is logical. With that, the people in the government know that they are elected into office to work and plan.
There is national distraction because there is going to be an election in two years. So, they have only two years for governance, and the next two years are for election, and that is what we are seeing today. We are thinking of 2027, yet we are not in 2026″.
It will reduce toxic culture of reelection desperation — Coalition of Northern Groups
According to the National Coordinator of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG),Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, “the current two-term structure for presidents and governors in Nigeria has increasingly proved to be a political liability rather than a democratic strength.
The desperate pursuit of a second term by incumbents has, in many cases, led to diversion of public funds, weakened governance, and turned state institutions into campaign machinery. Rather than focusing on delivering real progress, many leaders spend their first term scheming for reelection, while the second term is often marked by impunity, complacency, and power consolidation.
Elections become high-stakes battles, fueled by state resources and political patronage, rather than a fair contest of ideas. A constitutional provision for a single six-year term would not only reduce the toxic culture of reelection desperation but would also free incumbents from political distractions, allowing them to focus squarely on governance and legacy-building from day one.
This reform could also level the playing field, restore credibility to elections, and save the country billions wasted on repeat campaign cycles.
However, the move must be backed by wider institutional reforms — particularly in electoral integrity, fiscal discipline, and public accountability — to prevent new forms of political abuse.”
Single term will ensure stability in the polity — Benue Tribal leaders
Benue tribal leaders under the aegis of Mzough U Tiv, MUT, Ochetoha K’Idoma, OKI, and Om Nyi’Igede, ONI, noted that a single term of six years would ensure stability in the polity as the governors and the president would dedicate time and energy to serving the people knowing that there would be no room for second term in office, hence they would not be distracted seeking second term.
The Chairman of the tribal leaders and President General of Mzough U Tiv worldwide, Chief Iorbee Ihagh said,
“It is long overdue for Nigeria to resort to a single term of six years for the president and governors given the tension and the kind of resources they expend to seek reelection at the end of their first term in office. Another concern that the current two terms of four years which we practice, has generated among Nigerians is the near neglect of governance by governors and the president after two years in their first term in office to scheme to secure a second term.
The current practice has not helped the country. What we have is two years of governance and two years of total politicking and uncontrolled use of public funds to seek reelection at the detriment of the well being of ordinary Nigerians. It is a political system that has not helped the socio-economic and political development of the country and it is glaring for all to see.
The way out of this anomaly is constitutional reforms that would introduce single term of six years for the president and governors and we will know peace and semblance of what one can call five or six years of stability in the polity because the governors and the president would not be seen to be under political pressure in their bids to seek reelection.”
Vanguard
