Eagle FM Frontline: Ayanga, others oppose Bamidele’s six-year tenure proposal

Mercy Iheoma Ihedigbo

A public affairs analyst, Bayo Ayanga, alongside several callers on Eagle 102.5 FM’s Frontline programme, has rejected a proposal by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, seeking a constitutional amendment to introduce a single six-year tenure for Nigeria’s president and state governors.

The proposal, which has sparked widespread debate across the country, was discussed extensively during the current affairs programme monitored in Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State.

Recall that Senator Bamidele recently announced plans to sponsor a constitutional amendment bill that would replace the existing system of two four-year terms with a single, non-renewable six-year tenure for presidents and governors.

Speaking with journalists in Abuja, the Senate Leader explained that the proposal forms part of his legislative agenda for the 11th National Assembly after the 2027 general elections.

According to him, the reform is designed to reduce the distractions associated with re-election campaigns and enable elected officials to concentrate fully on governance.

Bamidele argued that under the current arrangement, political office holders often spend a significant portion of their first term strategizing for a second term rather than focusing on service delivery.

“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,” he stated.

The proposed amendment is also part of a broader package of political reforms that includes efforts to compel the Revenue Mobilization Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) to publicly disclose the salaries and allowances of lawmakers and other public office holders.

Reacting to the proposal during Frontline, Ayanga noted that the idea was not entirely new, recalling that former President Goodluck Jonathan had championed a similar initiative over a decade ago.

According to the Chairman of the Ijebu North East Forum, Jonathan had proposed a single five-year tenure, arguing that the struggle for second-term re-election often generated unnecessary political tension and distracted leaders from governance.

“What he said is not new. We remember very well in 2012 or 2013, the then-President, Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, came up with the idea of a five-year single tenure in office. I remember one of the statements he made, that the propensity to be gearing for a second term creates a lot of chaos in politics. That if people know they only have one term, they will serve and leave, rather than create unnecessary upheaval in the political system,” Ayanga said.

Despite acknowledging the historical basis of the proposal, callers who participated in the programme overwhelmingly opposed the initiative, insisting that Nigeria’s governance challenges have little to do with tenure length and more to do with leadership quality, accountability and policy implementation.

One of the callers, AbdulWasiu from Ago-Iwoye, described the proposal as an unnecessary distraction from more pressing national concerns such as insecurity, economic hardship and poor governance.

According to him, four years remain sufficient for any committed leader to make a meaningful impact on the lives of citizens.

He cited former governors, including Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, Lateef Jakande, Chief Bola Ige and Ambrose Alli as examples of leaders who left lasting legacies despite spending relatively short periods in office.

“For me, it’s just to divert the attention of Nigerians. We are yearning for good governance, and our lawmakers are talking about tenure. Four years is good enough for anybody to deliver good governance to the people,” he said.

AbdulWasiu further urged lawmakers to focus on addressing insecurity and other challenges confronting the country rather than pursuing constitutional amendments on tenure arrangements.

Another caller, Prince Suleiman Hassan, also dismissed the proposal, describing it as an attempt to shift public attention away from issues that directly affect ordinary Nigerians.

He argued that lawmakers should be concentrating on policies that improve living standards, strengthen social welfare programmes and provide support for vulnerable and elderly citizens.

“It is just a distraction. It’s a big statement that is making us forget what we are really expecting them to say,” Hassan stated.

He questioned why legislative attention appeared to be focused on political reforms rather than initiatives capable of delivering immediate benefits to citizens struggling with economic difficulties.

Also contributing to the discussion, Oscar from Ijebu-Ode maintained that Nigeria’s democratic challenges stem largely from the growing disconnect between political leaders and the people they govern.

According to him, many government policies fail because public officials do not personally experience the consequences of the decisions they make.

Oscar argued that economic reforms and public policies would receive greater urgency and attention if political leaders were directly affected by the hardships faced by ordinary Nigerians.

“We have been talking about democracy. Why we are not enjoying it is because the gap between the rulers and the led is too wide,” he said.

He further argued that changing the duration of tenure would not automatically improve governance outcomes.

“Whether you give them ten years or one single tenure, what matters is accountability. The office should be accessible to all, and leaders must be held responsible for their actions,” he added.

The discussions reflected widespread public skepticism over constitutional amendments relating to tenure length, with many participants insisting that transparency, accountability and effective governance should take priority over debates about the duration of political offices.

While Senator Bamidele acknowledged that the proposal represents his personal conviction and may encounter opposition, he maintained that democratic institutions must continue to evolve and that constitutional reforms should remain open for public consideration.

The concept of a single tenure for executive office holders is not entirely new in Nigeria’s political discourse.

Variations of the proposal have previously received support from prominent political figures, including Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

However, previous legislative efforts seeking similar constitutional amendments failed to progress beyond the second reading stage in both 2019 and 2024, highlighting the challenges such reforms face in securing broad political and public support.