... Bill Targets End Of Re-election Politics, says Bamidele
… Proposal To Be Prioritised By 11th National Assembly After 2027 Polls
Daud Olatunji
Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, has disclosed that the incoming 11th Senate will consider a sweeping constitutional reform bill seeking to replace the current two-term system for presidents and state governors with a single six-year tenure after the 2027 general elections.
Bamidele said the proposed legislation, which he intends to sponsor at the inauguration of the next National Assembly, is designed to reduce what he described as governance distractions linked to re-election politics and campaign cycles.
Speaking in an interview with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the Senate Leader argued that the existing four-year renewable tenure structure often compels elected officials to divert significant attention to political survival shortly after assuming office.
According to him, a single-term arrangement would allow leaders to concentrate fully on governance from the outset without the pressure of seeking a second mandate.
“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, is a bill that will make it possible for anyone who wants to be president of this country, or governor in any part of the country, to serve only one term of six years,” he said.
He maintained that the current system often leads to what he called “lost time” within the first term, as officeholders begin early manoeuvres aimed at re-election.
“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 added.
The Senate Leader further argued that a single tenure would compel elected leaders to maximise their time in office.
“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 said.
Bamidele acknowledged that the proposal may face resistance from different political interests but insisted that lawmakers must not shy away from initiating far-reaching reforms they believe could strengthen governance in the country.
“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 stated.
He added that constitutional and legal frameworks must remain dynamic and responsive to societal needs, stressing that governance systems are not static.
“The essence of law, the essence of parliament, is that laws are like human beings; they grow,” he said.
FOLLOW US
FOR MORE HERE
More details here...
