Calls Grow for Single Six-Year Term for Nigerian President, Governors to Curb Election Spending and Power Abuse

Legal experts, activists, and political stakeholders are advocating for a constitutional amendment to replace Nigeria’s current two-term, four-year system for presidents and governors with a single six-year tenure. They argue this change would reduce the misuse of public funds on re-election campaigns and allow elected leaders to focus more on governance and legacy-building.

Supporters of the proposal believe that the current structure encourages wasteful spending, political distractions, and abuse of state resources. Saint Moses Eromosele, a lawyer and executive director of the Oneghe Sele Foundation in Benin City, Edo State, said that a single six-year term would provide a more stable and focused leadership model, especially for a developing country like Nigeria.

“In developed democracies like the United States, four-year election cycles work. But in Nigeria, they disrupt governance,” Eromosele stated. “Elections every four years encourage incumbents to misuse public funds and manipulate power to secure a second term. Even former President Goodluck Jonathan once supported this idea because he recognized its merits.”

He urged the National Assembly to consider adopting this model, similar to China’s system, arguing it would reduce electoral violence, enhance focus on leadership goals, and eliminate the distraction of early politicking. “Leaders only govern for two years, and the next two are spent preparing for reelection. That’s why we’re already talking about 2027, even though it’s just 2025,” he said.

Similarly, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, National Coordinator of the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), described the current two-term arrangement as a “political liability.” He emphasized that the quest for re-election often diverts attention and resources away from governance and turns public institutions into campaign tools.

“A single six-year term will help end this culture of reelection desperation,” Charanchi asserted. “It will give leaders the freedom to govern effectively from day one and shift focus from politicking to nation-building. This change could also save the country billions in repeated election cycles.”

However, Charanchi cautioned that any such reform must be accompanied by deeper institutional changes, including stronger electoral processes, stricter fiscal controls, and greater public accountability to prevent new forms of political abuse.

Echoing this sentiment, tribal leaders in Benue State — under the platforms of Mzough U Tiv (MUT), Ochetoha K’Idoma (OKI), and Om Nyi’Igede (ONI) — threw their weight behind the proposal. Chief Iorbee Ihagh, chairman of the tribal unions and President General of MUT Worldwide, said that the current system encourages leaders to neglect governance halfway into their first term.

He noted that “what we see now is two years of governance and two years of political scheming,” which he described as a drain on public resources and a major setback to the country’s political and socio-economic progress.

“Shifting to a single six-year term will eliminate the pressure of seeking re-election and promote five to six years of political stability. It’s a reform that’s long overdue,” Chief Ihagh added.

While the push for a single term continues to gain support, stakeholders agree that meaningful change will only come if backed by broader constitutional and institutional reforms to ensure effective governance and accountability.