No more second term? Senate considers six-year single tenure for presidents, governors

• The Senate is considering a bill proposing a single six-year term for presidents and governors.

• The proposal would replace the current two four-year term arrangement.

• Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele says the idea is intended to allow leaders focus more on governance.

• The proposal would require a constitutional amendment and approval by at least two-thirds of State Houses of Assembly before becoming law.

The Nigerian Senate is considering a proposal that could significantly change the country’s political system by replacing the current two-term structure for presidents and state governors with a single six-year tenure.

The proposal, which is expected to come before lawmakers as a constitutional amendment bill, seeks to allow presidents and governors to serve only one term of six years instead of the existing arrangement that permits them to seek re-election after an initial four-year term.

Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, who disclosed the plan, said the idea is aimed at allowing elected leaders to focus more on governance rather than spending a large portion of their first term preparing for re-election campaigns.

Under Nigeria’s current system, a president or governor can serve a maximum of two four-year terms, bringing the total possible time in office to eight years. If the proposal eventually becomes law, future presidents and governors would be limited to a single six-year term with no opportunity for re-election.

The planned bill is expected to be introduced after the 2027 general elections. According to Bamidele, the proposal is part of broader discussions on constitutional and electoral reforms aimed at strengthening governance and improving the country's democratic process.

However, the proposal cannot become law through a simple vote in the Senate alone. Since presidential and gubernatorial tenure is provided for in the Nigerian Constitution, the measure would require a constitutional amendment.

For that to happen, it must secure the approval of the National Assembly and receive support from at least two-thirds of the 36 State Houses of Assembly before it can take effect.

The idea of a single tenure for elected leaders is not entirely new in Nigeria. Similar proposals have surfaced at different times in the country’s democratic history but failed to make it through the constitutional amendment process.

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If eventually approved, the reform would mark one of the most significant changes to Nigeria’s political structure since the return to democratic rule in 1999.

The development is expected to spark conversations about the future of governance, elections, and political leadership in Africa’s most populous nation as lawmakers continue deliberations on possible constitutional reforms.