Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has revealed that a bill proposing a single six-year tenure for Nigeria’s President and state governors may be introduced in the 11th Senate after the 2027 general elections.
Bamidele stated that the proposed reform would be among the earliest legislative priorities of the incoming Senate, arguing that it would help leaders concentrate fully on governance rather than diverting attention to re-election campaigns.
Speaking during an interview with journalists in his office on Tuesday, the lawmaker explained that the current two-term structure often pushes political officeholders to begin succession planning and re-election strategies early in their first term.
He noted that this situation, in his view, reduces the time available for effective governance.
According to him, a single tenure system would remove the pressure of seeking a second term and allow elected officials to focus entirely on performance throughout their stay in office.
“If you know you have only one term of six years, you come in prepared to give your best from the beginning,” he said, adding that leaders would no longer spend part of their tenure strategising for re-election.
Bamidele acknowledged that the idea may not be universally accepted, stressing that legislative proposals are open to debate and differing opinions.
He maintained that lawmaking is a continuous process that evolves with societal needs, insisting that reforms should not be dismissed simply because they are new or unpopular.
“The essence of parliament is that laws are not static; they grow with time,” he added.
If eventually presented and approved by the National Assembly, the proposal would require constitutional amendment before it can become law and take effect.