Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele has disclosed plans to sponsor a bill seeking to introduce a single six-year term for presidents and governors, a proposal he said would be pursued after the 2027 general elections.
Speaking with journalists in his office on Tuesday, Bamidele said the legislation would be among the first bills he intends to introduce when the next Senate is inaugurated.
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.
The Senate Leader argued that the current two-term arrangement often compels elected officials to focus on re-election efforts long before completing their first mandate.
“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 said.
According to him, a single six-year tenure would allow leaders to concentrate fully on governance from the outset.
“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 added.
Bamidele acknowledged that the proposal may not enjoy broad consensus but said lawmakers have a duty to advance reforms they believe could improve governance.
“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 also defended the need for constitutional and legislative reforms, saying laws should evolve to meet changing realities.
“The essence of law, the essence of parliament, is that laws are like human beings; they grow,” Bamidele said.
If introduced and passed by the National Assembly, the proposal would require constitutional amendments before it can take effect
