A group of 34 members of the House of Representatives, whose bill to amend the 1999 Constitution and introduce a single six-year term for the President, State Governors, and Local Government Chairmen was recently rejected, has vowed to push forward with the proposal.
The bill, which was discussed on Thursday, did not pass in the House. However, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo), the lead sponsor of the bill, said in a statement on Friday that the rejection was only a temporary setback. He remains hopeful that the proposal can still be realized.
Ugochinyere emphasized that the fight for a more inclusive, fair, and just democratic system in Nigeria would continue. He assured Nigerians that the campaign would not stop, and that they would work to reintroduce the bill after further consultation and following the proper legislative procedures.
The lawmaker argued that having elections on the same day, rotating power between the North and South, and limiting elected officials to a single six-year term would help reduce costs, minimize electoral fraud, and ease political tensions, allowing leaders to focus on governance without the distraction of re-election.
He remains hopeful that when the proposal is reintroduced, his colleagues will support it.
