THE Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has revealed plans to sponsor a bill seeking to introduce a single six-year tenure for presidents and governors after the 2027 general elections.
News Point Nigeria reports that Bamidele said the proposed legislation would rank among the first set of bills he intends to introduce when the next Senate is inaugurated, arguing that such a reform would allow elected leaders to concentrate fully on governance rather than spending valuable time preparing for re-election campaigns.
Speaking with journalists in his office on Tuesday, the lawmaker expressed concern that the current two-term arrangement often forces officeholders to devote a substantial part of their first tenure to political calculations and strategies aimed at securing a second term.
“One of the first set of bills that I look forward to moving, by God’s grace, when we come back for the 11th Senate, God willing, is for a bill that will only make it possible for anyone who wants to be president of this country, or governor in any part of this country, to spend only one term of six years,” he said.
According to him, the proposed single-term structure would eliminate the distractions associated with seeking re-election and encourage leaders to focus entirely on delivering results from the beginning of their administration.
“So that you don’t even have to worry about wasting almost one and a half years of your first term thinking and struggling and looking forward to how you’ll be re-elected,” Bamidele stated.
“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.”
The Senate Leader acknowledged that his proposal may not attract unanimous support but insisted that legislators have a duty to champion reforms they believe can improve governance and strengthen democratic institutions.
“That’s my opinion. It doesn’t mean everybody will agree with me. But it also does not mean that I am prevented from doing that because that has not been the law,” he said.
Bamidele further argued that laws should evolve in line with societal realities and changing national needs, stressing that legislative reform is a fundamental responsibility of parliament.
“The essence of law, the essence of parliament, is that laws are like human beings; they grow,” he added.
If formally introduced and eventually passed by the National Assembly, the proposal would require significant constitutional amendments before it could become law and take effect.
The planned bill is expected to spark national debate over the structure of Nigeria’s presidential and gubernatorial tenure system, particularly its potential impact on governance, accountability and political stability.