Chairman of the Nigerian Conference of Speakers and Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Adebo Ogundoyin, has explained why a six-year single tenure is now desired in Nigeria.

Ogundoyin noted that the current four-year tenure had resulted in a lack of continuity in good policies and policy inconsistency, thereby hampering Nigeria’s development.

The Speaker made this statement during the July edition of the monthly live programme of the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), Ibadan, titled ‘Guest of the Month’.

Ogundoyin noted that with a six-year tenure, there would be less distraction, proper planning, more time for governance, and less emphasis on politicking.

He said: ‘’The bane of Nigeria’s development is its kind of politics. The political office holder, who has a four-year tenure, has to study the system; he would use some part for politics, and little time for governance. This is not allowing us to talk about long-term development plans. The next person who comes will not continue with the policies of the previous administration. That is how good policies will die. We cannot have development without proper planning.’’

Asked if he would support a six-year single tenure canvassed by Governor Seyi Makinde, he said: ‘’The governor does not speak anyhow. He speaks intentionally with facts. With a six-year single tenure, there would be less distraction, proper planning, more time for governance, because years of politicking will be taken away. Let’s just key into the six-year single tenure and not focus on stomach infrastructure.’’

MEANWHILE, former National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and a 2019 presidential candidate, Chief Peter Ameh, has called for urgent constitutional reforms to address political defections and strengthen Nigeria’s democratic institutions.

Reacting to the ongoing constitution review by the House of Representatives, Ameh advocated a new law compelling any sitting president, vice president, governor or deputy governor who defects from the party under which they were elected to resign immediately.

In a detailed policy opinion yesterday, Ameh argued that the problem with Nigeria’s democracy was not the lack of laws, but the consistent failure of lawmakers to enforce them.

Citing Sections 143 and 188 of the 1999 Constitution, which provide for the removal of executive officials on grounds of gross misconduct, Ameh said political defections without accountability constituted a clear breach of public trust and the constitutional mandate.

He specifically called for an amendment to Section 109(1)(g), which currently applies only to lawmakers, to also cover elected executives, and for the deletion of Section 109(2)(g), which allows defections on the grounds of party division.

According to him, the loophole has been consistently abused to justify opportunistic defections.