Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has proposed a constitutional amendment to allow a single term of five or six years for elected office holders across all levels in Nigeria, replacing the current two-term system of four years each.
Governor Makinde made this suggestion on Friday at his Ikolaba residence in Ibadan, where he received a delegation of Muslim clerics, traditional leaders, and political figures shortly after attending Eid-el-Kabir prayers at the Agodi Eid Ground.
The visiting delegation, led by Deputy Governor Barr. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, included notable figures such as the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Senator Rashidi Ladoja; PDP Deputy National Chairman, Amb. Taofeek Arapaja; former deputy governors Barr. Hazeem Gbolarumi and Engr. Hamid Gbadamosi; Hon. Abass Adigun Agboworin, and the Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta States, Alhaji Dawodu Makanjuola.
Governor Makinde congratulated the Muslim community for witnessing the 2025 Eid-el-Kabir celebration, expressing gratitude for their prayers, steadfastness, and unwavering support for his administration over the last six years.
Addressing the gathering, he advocated for a systemic change that would reduce distractions in governance and allow elected leaders to focus on delivering their mandates.
“First, let me use this opportunity to say Barka Da Sallah to our Muslim faithful and we shall have the opportunity to celebrate many more by the grace of God,” he began.
Reflecting on his tenure, Makinde noted the challenges that reduced the effective years of governance in his eight-year stretch.
“I was just looking at the trajectory for me in government. I have spent six years already and due to no fault of anybody, we lost the year 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic,” he said.
“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. So, I feel that, effectively, the time we can say we are very serious with governance is just about five out of the eight years.”
Makinde emphasized that a more efficient system would allow elected officials to concentrate on governance without political distractions.
“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.”
“Well, we shouldn’t be afraid to say the fact based on data that is available to us. It has nothing to do with me. If they say I should end it, so be it.”
He called on Nigerians and lawmakers to give the proposal serious consideration:
“So, I am just calling the attention of our people to this because it is a constitutional issue. We should start looking at it.”
“I know that it has been brought to the attention of the National Assembly but, quite frankly, it is a model that should work for this country.”
Delivering a goodwill message from the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, Senator Rashidi Ladoja urged residents to continue supporting the current administration.
He also offered prayers for continued success and progress under Makinde’s leadership.
After the Eid prayers, Deputy Governor Lawal addressed journalists, encouraging Muslims to uphold the virtues of obedience, trust, and self-sacrifice, which he described as central teachings of the Holy Quran.
“We must always exhibit the valuable lessons of obedience, trust and true sacrifice to the will of God, which are the doctrines and lessons taught by the Holy Quran,” he said.
He also praised Governor Makinde’s leadership, particularly in the area of workers’ welfare:
“We thank the Governor for his commitment to the welfare of workers and the people of Oyo State through prompt payment of salaries.”
Lawal concluded by calling for greater cooperation from residents to ensure continued delivery of the dividends of democracy.
