Seyi Makinde calls for single 5 or 6 year term

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has called for a constitutional amendment to establish a single five- or six-year tenure for elected public officials in Nigeria, arguing that the current two-term system breeds distractions that hinder effective governance

Makinde made the call at his Ibadan residence while receiving a delegation of Muslim faithful led by Deputy Governor Bayo Lawal, following Eid-el-Kabir prayers. The group included traditional rulers and political leaders.

Reflecting on his own six years in office, Makinde said the reality of governance is often disrupted by political pressures related to re-election campaigns and future ambitions.

“I have spent six years already, and due to no fault of anybody, we lost the year 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said. “We lost almost one year campaigning all over the place for the second tenure. Now, people have started distracting us on what I want to do next and all of that.”

He argued that a single, longer term would allow leaders to concentrate fully on their responsibilities without the burden of political speculation and electioneering.

“That is why I feel if you remove all these distractions, a single tenure of five or six years is actually enough to focus and do the work that we are trying to do in eight years,” Makinde stated. “It has nothing to do with me. If they say I should end it, so be it.”

He stressed that his suggestion is informed by data and real-world experience, and called for a national conversation on amending the constitution to accommodate the change.

“This is a constitutional issue. We should start looking at it,” he said. “I know that it has been brought to the attention of the National Assembly, but, quite frankly, it is a model that should work for this country.”

Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended) currently permits presidents and governors to serve a maximum of two four-year terms.

Makinde’s proposal echoes similar calls made by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in October 2024, when he recommended a single six-year term for the presidency and suggested rotating the office among the six geo-political zones.

Despite such proposals, the House of Representatives rejected a bill in November 2024 seeking to implement a single six-year presidential term.

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