Bill proposing Six-year single-term for President, Governors rejected by Reps

A bill aiming to reduce the tenure of the President and state governors to a single six-year term has been rejected by Nigeria’s House of Representatives.

The proposed legislation, sponsored by Ikenga Ugochinyere and 33 other lawmakers, was debated on Thursday but failed to gain the required support for passage.

The bill sought to amend the 1999 Constitution to introduce several key changes, including the reduction of lawmakers’ tenures, the zonal rotation of presidential and governorship seats, and the scheduling of all elections on the same day.

According to the sponsors, the proposed amendments were designed to promote inclusive governance and reduce the financial burdens associated with Nigeria’s current four-year electoral cycle.

Despite its intended objectives, the bill was met with resistance from lawmakers, who ultimately voted against it.

The Bill also seeks to amend Section 76 of the Principal Act by inserting a new Sub-section (3) as follows;
“(3) For the Purposes of Section (1) of this section, all elections into the offices of President, Governors, National Assembly and State Houses of Assembly shall hold simultaneously on the same date to be determined by the Independent National Electoral Commission in consultation with the National Assembly and in accordance with the Electoral Act.”