Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has called for a constitutional amendment that would allow for a single term of six years for elected public officials, including governors and presidents.
The governor made this statement on Friday while addressing newsmen at his Agodi GRA private residence while playing host to islamic and political leaders who paid him Salah homage.
This is coming on the heels of the Eid-el-Kabir celebration, where he reflected on his time in office and the challenges of governance under the current political system.
In his remarks, Governor Makinde extended his well wishes to the Muslim community: “First, let me use this opportunity to say Barka Da Sallah to our Muslim faithfuls and we shall have the opportunity to celebrate many more by the grace of God.”
The governor, who is currently serving his second term, noted the inefficiencies and distractions that come with the current two-term structure.
“I was just looking at the trajectory for me in government. 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.”
Makinde emphasized that these interruptions affect the overall effectiveness of governance.
“But I felt, effectively, till the time we can even say we are very serious with governance, it is just about five out of the eight years,” he explained.
“That was why I felt 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.”
He further clarified that his suggestion is not driven by personal political ambition but by a desire for more efficient governance.
“Well, we shouldn’t be afraid to say the fact based on data that is available to us. It has nothing to do with me. If they say I should end it, so be it.”
The governor urged Nigerians and lawmakers to consider the proposal seriously, describing it as a viable governance model for the country.
“So, I am just calling the attention of our people to this because it is a constitutional issue. We should start looking at it,” Makinde 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.”
Reports indicate that Makinde’s call adds to ongoing national discourse around constitutional reforms, particularly the structure and tenure of political office holders in Nigeria.
