FEDERAL LAWMAKERS REJECT BILL SEEKING SIX-YEAR SINGLE TERM FOR PRESIDENTS, GOVERNORS, OTHERS

The lawmaker representing  Esan North-East/South-East Federal Constituency ,Edo State, Sergius Ogun  and  few of his colleagues, saw it in a different light, arguing that  passing the bill would save the country funds used to conduct elections at the expiration of every four-year tenure.

Penpushing further reports that, contrary to Ogun and others view, larger percentage of the members bluntly rejected it, and a lawmaker from Kano State, Haruna Bello, an All Progressives Congress(APC) member was of the view that the bill could be easily interpreted as a suspicious move to extend the tenure of President Muhammadu Buhari.

His point, “by the time you allow the room for six years, you will shut down the door for appraisal of someone’s term after four years. We should maintain our four years,” .

Penpushing also reports that, Yusuf Gagdi, representing Pankshin/Kanke/Kanam Federal Constituency of Plateau State on his part, argued that nothing is wrong with the current system of two four-year terms for the President and Governors.

“You cannot ask the President to perform a six-year tenure and expect a good performance.Our problem is our inability to respect our rules. Our democracy does not need six-year single term for the executive. What it needs it to maintain what is in place for the executive and national assembly. What we need is to improve our elections and ensure we have a system that will not fail Nigerians”, he declared

The Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) lawmaker from Akwa Ibom, Henry Archibong in his own contribution rejected the bill, stressing that  focus should be on improving the country’s electoral process, arguing, “how can we make electoral processes and elections credible and less expensive?. This is the issue we ought to address and not the number of terms”

Penpushing reports that, at the end of the  debate, the Deputy Speaker of the House, Idris Wase who presided over the plenary, put the bill to a voice vote, and in the course of that more voices rejected the bill.

Meanwhile, as at today, the nation democracy only provided  four year term for the elected public officials, and can have second term of another four years if they win re-election, however, the President, Governors and their Deputies can only serve a maximum two terms in office.