Scrap Second Term – Makinde Says As He Proposes Single 6-year Term For Presidents, Governors
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has demanded an end to the current two term structure in Nigeria.
According to him, the constitution should be ammended to allow elected political office holders to serve only a single term of five or six years.
Makinde made the proposal on Friday while receiving Muslim faithful, traditional rulers, and political stakeholders at his private residence in Ikolaba, Ibadan, shortly after the Eid-el-Kabir prayers.
The delegation was led by the state Deputy Governor, Bayo Lawal.
Other dignitaries present included the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja; former deputy governors, Hazeem Gbolarumi and Hamid Gbadamosi; PDP Deputy National Chairman, Taofeek Arapaja; the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta States, Dawodu Makanjuola; and federal lawmaker Abass Adigun Agboworin.
Speaking to the gathering, Governor Makinde said a single term would eliminate distractions associated with seeking re-election and allow public office holders to fully focus on governance.
“First, let me use this opportunity to say Barka Da Sallah to our Muslim faithful, and we shall have the opportunity to celebrate many more by the grace of God.
“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 from what I want to do next and all of that. So, I feel that, effectively, the time we can say we are very serious with governance is just about five out of the eight years.
“That is why I feel that 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.
“Well, we shouldn’t be afraid to say the fact based on the data that is available to us. It has nothing to do with me. If they say I should end it, so be it.
Makinde emphasized that his suggestion was not self-serving but based on his personal experience and observation of governance trends in Nigeria.
“I am calling the attention of our people to this because it is a constitutional issue. We should start looking at it. 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.,” he added.
In his remarks, Oba Ladoja, who represented the Olubadan of Ibadanland, commended Governor Makinde for his leadership and prayed for continued progress in the state.
He also praised the administration for prioritizing workers’ welfare through consistent salary payments.
