The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, Senator Kenneth Eze, has advocated for a single term of about 16 years for elective political positions in Nigeria, arguing that the four-year electoral circle remains the major bane of the Country’s government system.

Eze who spoke at his Ohigbo Amagu country home in Ezza South Local Government Area of Ebonyi State Weekend, argued that the present four-year electoral circle does not give government enough time to nurture its policies and programmes to maturity stage, leading to instability in the Country’s leadership system.

According to him, due to short election circle, incumbent administration often abandon initiatives of past administrations to initiate new ones, thereby leading to abandoned projects and policies that are supposed to benefit the people.

“Every four years, we are back in campaign mode. By the third year, governance slows as attention shifts to re-election. That is why projects are abandoned and policies are never allowed to mature,” Eze said.

Under Nigeria’s current constitution, president and Governors serve a four-year term, renewable once.

Eze who represents Ebonyi Central Senatorial District, is advocating for the replacement of the two-term of 8 years system with a single and elongated tenure, arguing that it would free leaders from electoral pressures and allow them to focus on a long-term development goals.

“If you ask me, I would advocate for one tenure of 16 years. It may sound controversial, but it would allow policies to run their full course and stabilize the system,” he stated.

The Senator cited sectors such as power, infrastructure, agriculture, and fiscal reform as areas where long-term policy continuity is essential.

He pointed to irrigation projects, mechanized agriculture initiatives, and energy reforms as examples of programmes that requires multi-year commitments that cannot succeed under short electoral cycle.

He also defended recent economic reforms by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, particularly the removal of fuel subsidies, describing them as necessary measures to prevent fiscal collapse and protect Nigeria’s economy.

“We were borrowing to pay salaries. That is not sustainable for any country,” he said.

While acknowledging that the 16-year single term proposal might appear controversial, Eze noted that it’s a governance debate that Nigerians should consider, and shouldn’t be viewed as an attempt to weaken the country’s democratic system.

He stressed the need for a national dialogue or debate on major reforms such as tenure elongation, to determine whether it could improve policy implementation and governance stability in the country.