House Of Representatives Rejects Bill Proposing Single Six-Year Tenure for President, Governors

A bill seeking to reduce the tenure of the President and Governors to a single six-year term has been rejected by the House of Representatives.

Sponsored by Ikenga Ugochinyere and 33 other lawmakers, the bill was debated during Thursday’s plenary session before being dismissed through a voice vote.

The proposed legislation aimed to amend the 1999 Constitution, not only to establish a six-year single tenure but also to mandate zonal rotation for presidential and governorship positions and synchronize elections for all offices on a single day.

According to the bill, Section 76 of the Principal Act would be amended by inserting a new Sub-section (3), which reads:
“(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.”

Proponents of the bill argued that the amendments were designed to foster inclusive governance and reduce the financial and administrative burdens associated with periodic four-year elections.

Despite these intentions, the Speaker, who presided over the session, put the bill to a voice vote, and the majority of lawmakers voted against it, leading to its rejection.