By Sunday Ameh
A public affairs analyst, Bayo Ayanga, and several callers on Eagle 102.5 FM’s Frontline programme have dismissed a proposed constitutional amendment seeking to replace Nigeria’s two-term, four-year executive tenure with a single six-year term.
The proposal, being championed by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, seeks to alter the 1999 Constitution to provide for a one-off, non-renewable six-year tenure for presidents and state governors.
Bamidele had earlier disclosed that the bill, when introduced, would aim to curb the distractions of re-election politics and allow elected officials to concentrate fully on governance and delivery of democratic dividends.
However, speaking during the live programme monitored in Ilese-Ijebu, Ogun State, Ayanga described the proposal as a recycled idea, noting that similar discussions had surfaced in the past.
He recalled that former President Goodluck Jonathan once mooted a five-year single tenure arrangement, arguing then that the pursuit of second terms often fuels political tension and governance instability.
“What he said is not new. We remember very well in 2012 or 2013 when former President Goodluck Jonathan came up with the idea of a five-year single tenure. One of the reasons he gave was that the struggle for a second term creates unnecessary political tension and upheaval,” Ayanga said.
Despite acknowledging the argument behind the proposal, callers on the programme overwhelmingly rejected it, insisting that Nigeria’s problem lies not in tenure length but in leadership quality, accountability and governance failure.
A caller, AbdulWasiu from Ago-Iwoye, described the proposal as a diversion from more urgent national concerns such as insecurity and economic hardship.
“For me, it is just an attempt to divert Nigerians’ attention. Four years is enough for any serious leader to deliver. We have seen governors like Olabisi Onabanjo, Lateef Jakande, Bola Ige and Ambrose Alli leave lasting legacies within a short period,” he said.
He urged lawmakers to channel energy toward addressing insecurity, unemployment and economic challenges rather than constitutional debates on tenure elongation or reduction.
Another caller, Prince Suleiman Hassan, also faulted the proposal, saying it was disconnected from the realities faced by ordinary Nigerians.
He argued that legislative attention should focus on policies that improve living standards and strengthen social welfare systems.
“It is a distraction. Nigerians are expecting solutions to real problems, not debates about tenure elongation,” he said.
Also speaking, Oscar from Ijebu-Ode said Nigeria’s governance crisis stemmed largely from the widening gap between leaders and the governed.
According to him, no constitutional adjustment would improve governance without accountability and political will.
“The gap between the rulers and the people is too wide. Whether you give them six years, 10 years or one term, nothing will change unless leaders are held accountable,” he said.
The callers maintained that accountability, transparency and effective service delivery remained the core issues requiring urgent attention, stressing that tenure reforms alone would not resolve Nigeria’s governance challenges.
Their reactions underscore growing public scepticism toward fresh constitutional amendment debates, with many citizens insisting that performance, not tenure structure, should define democratic success.
While defending his position, Bamidele maintained that the proposal reflected his personal conviction, adding that constitutional reforms remained necessary for democratic deepening, even if controversial.
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