Senator Kenneth Eze (APC-Ebonyi), chairman of the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, has called for a nationwide debate on replacing Nigeria’s current two-term, four-year presidential cycle with a single 16-year tenure.
Speaking on Monday at his Ohigbo-Amagu country home in Ezza South LGA, Mr. Eze argued that frequent elections disrupt governance and stall national development. “Every four years, we return to campaign mode. By the third year, governance slows as attention shifts to re-election; that is why projects are abandoned, and policies are not allowed to mature,” he explained.
Mr. Eze proposed that a single, extended tenure would free leaders from electoral pressures, allowing them to focus on long-term reforms in critical sectors such as power, infrastructure, agriculture, and fiscal policy. He highlighted that initiatives like irrigation schemes, mechanized farming, and energy reforms require sustained commitment to yield meaningful results.
He clarified that his proposal should be viewed as part of a governance conversation, not an attack on democracy, and urged for a transparent, participatory national dialogue on constitutional reform. Mr. Eze also called on citizens including journalists, teachers, civil servants, and parents to promote civic responsibility and national values, noting that policy changes alone cannot transform the country.
