RismadarVoice Reporters, June 10, 2026
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has disclosed plans to sponsor a bill seeking to introduce a single six-year tenure for president and state governors, arguing that the reform would allow elected leaders to focus more on governance and less on re-election campaigns.
Bamidele disclosed during an interview with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, stating that the proposed legislation would be among the first bills he intends to introduce in the next Senate after the 2027 general elections.
Nigeria currently operates a two-term system under the 1999 Constitution, allowing presidents and governors to serve a maximum of two four-year terms.
However, Bamidele argued that the existing arrangement often distracts officeholders, who begin planning for re-election shortly after assuming office.
“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 the Senate leader, a single six-year term would eliminate the pressure associated with seeking a second mandate and encourage leaders to concentrate fully on delivering their campaign promises.
“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.
“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,” Bamidele added.
The lawmaker acknowledged that the proposal may not enjoy universal support but maintained that constitutional and legislative reforms remain necessary for national development.
“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.
He further noted that laws should evolve to reflect changing realities and governance needs.
“The essence of law, the essence of parliament, is that laws are like human beings; they grow,” Bamidele stated.
The proposal is expected to revive longstanding debates over executive tenure in Nigeria. Similar calls for a single term have emerged at various times since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
Supporters of the idea argue that it would reduce political distractions, curb the use of state resources for re-election campaigns and promote long-term policy implementation.
Among those who have previously advocated the reform is Atiku Abubakar, who proposed a six-year single term for presidents and governors, alongside constitutional rotation of the presidency among Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
Critics, however, contend that the current two-term system allows voters to either reward performing leaders with a second mandate or remove underperforming ones through the ballot box.
If introduced and passed by the National Assembly, the proposal would require constitutional amendments and must be approved by at least two-thirds of the 36 state Houses of Assembly before it can become law.
