Makinde Advocates Six-Year Single Term For President And Governors To Boost Governance.
Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has called for a constitutional amendment to introduce a single six-year term for elected political office holders across all levels of government in Nigeria, challenging the current system of two four-year terms. The governor made this bold proposal on Friday, 6 June 2025, while hosting Muslim faithful, clerics, traditional rulers, and political office holders at his Ikolaba residence in Ibadan, shortly after Eid-el-Kabir prayers at the Agodi Eid Ground.
Governor Makinde argued that the existing double-term structure creates significant distractions, with leaders often spending substantial time and resources campaigning for re-election rather than focusing on governance. Reflecting on his own tenure, he noted, “I have spent six years already, and due to no fault of anybody, we lost the year 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We lost almost one year campaigning all over the place for the second tenure. Now, people have started distracting us on what I want to do next and all of that.”
He proposed that a single term of five or six years would allow leaders to concentrate on delivering their mandates without the pressures of re-election. “That is why I feel if you remove all these distractions, a single tenure of five or six years is actually enough to focus and do the work that we are trying to do in eight years,” Makinde stated. He emphasised that his suggestion was not personal, adding, “It has nothing to do with me. If they say I should end it, so be it.”
The governor urged Nigerians to consider this as a constitutional issue, noting that the proposal has already been brought to the attention of the National Assembly. “Quite frankly, it is a model that should work for this country,” he asserted, calling for broader discussion and action to refine Nigeria’s political system.
The delegation, led by Deputy Governor Barr. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, included prominent figures such as the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Senator Rashidi Ladoja; former Deputy Governor and PDP Deputy National Chairman, Amb. Taofeek Arapaja; former deputy governors Barr. Hazeem Gbolarumi and Engr. Hamid Gbadamosi; Hon. Abass Adigun Agboworin, representing Ibadan North-East/South-East Federal Constituency; and Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo, and Delta States, Alhaji Dawodu Makanjuola.
Delivering a message on behalf of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, Senator Ladoja appealed for continued support for the government and prayed for further success for Makinde’s administration. Professor Kamil Oloso also offered special prayers for the governor, expressing the Muslim community’s gratitude for his unwavering support.
Governor Makinde congratulated the Muslim faithful on witnessing the 2025 Eid-el-Kabir and thanked them for their prayers and commitment to Oyo State over the past six years, urging continued unity and support to drive progress in the region and beyond.
