Bill Proposing Six-Year Single Term for President and Governors Passes First Reading

On Wednesday, the House of Representatives passed a bill through its first reading that seeks to amend the 1999 constitution to establish a single six-year term for the President, State Governors, and Local Government Area Chairmen, aiming to reduce the wastage caused by four-year periodic elections.

Sponsored by Ikenga Ugochinyere, who represents Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency in Imo State, along with 50 other lawmakers, the bill proposes changes to Sections 7, 135, 137, 180, and 182 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Clause 2 aims to amend Section 7 of the Principal Act by adding a new subsection (5), which states: “A holder of the office of a Local Government Chairman shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of six years commencing from the date such holder was elected into office.”

Clause 3 seeks to amend Section 135 subsections (2), (2A), and (3) by replacing “four” with “six,” so that it reads:

“(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the President shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of six (6) years single tenure commencing from the date when – (a) in the case of a person first elected as President under this Constitution, he took the Oath of Allegiance and the oath of office; and (b) in any other case, the person last elected to that office under this Constitution took the Oath of Allegiance and oath of office or would, but for his death, have taken such Oaths.

“(2A) In determining the six years term, where a re-run election has taken place and the person earlier sworn in wins the re-run election, the time spent in office before the date the election was annulled shall be taken into account.

“(3) If the Federation is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is physically involved and the President considers that it is not practicable to hold elections, the National Assembly may by resolution extend the six-year period mentioned in subsection (2) from time to time; but no such extension shall exceed six months at a time.”

Clause 4 seeks to amend Section 137 by deleting paragraph (b) and renumbering accordingly.

Clause 5 proposes changes to Section 180 by deleting the current subsections 2 and 3 and replacing them with new subsections:

“(2) Subject to the provisions of subsection (1) of this section, the Governor shall vacate his office at the expiration of a period of six (6) years single tenure commencing from the date when — (a) in the case of a person first elected as Governor under this Constitution, he took the Oath of Allegiance and oath of office; and (b) the person last elected to that office took the Oath of Allegiance and oath of office or would, but for his death, have taken such oaths.

“(3) If the Federation is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is physically involved and the President considers that it is not practicable to hold elections, the National Assembly may by resolution extend the six-year period mentioned in subsection (2) from time to time, but no such extension shall exceed six months at a time.”

Clause 5 also seeks to amend Section 182 (1) by deleting paragraph (b) and renumbering appropriately.

The bill is titled “Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (As amended) (Alteration) Bill 2024.”