Abuja, Nigeria – A member of the National Assembly, Kenneth Eze, has called for a major constitutional reform to replace Nigeria’s current two-term, eight-year limit for presidents and governors with a single 16-year tenure.
The lawmaker, who chairs the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, said the country’s four-year electoral cycle disrupts governance and prevents policies from reaching maturity.
Speaking in Ebonyi State, Eze argued that administrations often abandon projects initiated by their predecessors due to political transitions and re-election pressures.
According to him, by the third year of a four-year term, leaders shift focus to campaigns, slowing governance and undermining long-term planning. He maintained that a single extended tenure would reduce political distractions and allow leaders to concentrate on sustained development.
The senator cited sectors such as power, agriculture, infrastructure and fiscal reform as areas that require long-term consistency. He also defended economic reforms introduced by Bola Ahmed Tinubu, including fuel subsidy removal, describing them as necessary steps to stabilise the economy.
While acknowledging that his proposal may be controversial, Eze urged Nigerians to engage in a national dialogue on tenure reform as a way of strengthening policy continuity and governance stability.
