House of Reps Kick Against Six-Year Single Term For President, Governors, LG Chairpersons

The proposed bill seeking to introduce a single six-year term for the offices of President, State Governors, and Local Government Chairpersons and rotational presidency across the six geopolitical zones was rejected by the House of Representatives on Thursday.

The bill, titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), to Create a Single Term of Six Years for the Office of President and State Governors, Recognise the Division of Nigeria into Six Geopolitical Zones, Provide for the Rotation of the Offices of President, State Governors, and Local Government Chairpersons Among the Inherent Regions and Zones, and Provide That All Elections Be Held on a Single Day, and for Related Matters,” was sponsored by Honourable Ikeagwuonu Ugochinyere of Imo State and 33 others.
The proposed bill sought to amend the 1999 Constitution to ensure that election into the office president be alternate between the North and South every six years.
The bill also proposed that all elections for president, governors, and legislators be conducted simultaneously on a date determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly, as stipulated under a proposed amendment to Section 76 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
After Ugochinyere moved for the bill’s second reading and was debated upon, the Speaker Tajudeen Abba who presided over the plenary put the motion into voice vote and majority of lawmakers opposed the bill.
Speaker Abbas upheld the majority decision, effectively rejecting the bill.
The rejection reinforces Nigeria’s current system of a four-year term, renewable once, for elected officials, a model in place sincere 1999.
Previous attempts to introduce a six-year term, such as the 2019 proposal by Honourable John Dyegh, had also failed at the second reading stage.
Supporters of the single-term model have long argued that it would reduce the financial burden and violence associated with re-elections, while fostering inclusive governance, while those who have advocated for the idea are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who also called for electoral reforms.

Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who suggested that a single term could allow leaders to focus on governance without being distracted by re-election campaigns.