The Governor of Oyo State, Seyi Makinde, has proposed a single term of either five or six years for elected officials at all levels of government in Nigeria.
Naijaonpoint reports that Makinde’s proposal, which, if adopted, would affect the President and Governorship seats, is in contrast to the existing two terms of four years each.
The Oyo State governor made the suggestion on Friday during a visit from Muslim faithful, which included clerics, traditional leaders, and political office holders, to his residence in Ikolaba, Ibadan, shortly after the Eid-el-Kabir prayers held at the Eid Ground in Agodi, Ibadan.
The delegation was led by the Deputy Governor, Barr. Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, and included notable 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, the member representing Ibadan North-East/South-East Federal Constituency, Hon. Abass Adigun Agboworin, and Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta States, Alhaji Dawodu Makanjuola.
Makinde extended his congratulations to the Muslim faithful for celebrating the Eid-el-Kabir in 2025 and expressed gratitude for their prayers, dedication to the state, and unwavering support for him and his administration over the past six years.
He emphasised that a single term of five or six years would provide sufficient time for any government to concentrate on serving the populace and fulfilling its obligations, advocating for a constitutional amendment to implement this change.
Makinde said, “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.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
Conveying the message from the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Ladoja, appealed for increased support for the government and prayed for greater success and accomplishments for Governor Makinde’s administration.
In a conversation with reporters following the Eid prayer, the Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Barr. Lawal, encouraged the Muslim community to consistently demonstrate the essential values of obedience, trust, and genuine sacrifice to God’s will, which are the teachings and principles highlighted in the Holy Quran.
He expressed gratitude to the Governor for his dedication to the welfare of workers and the citizens of Oyo State through timely salary payments and called for enhanced collaboration from the residents of the state to ensure that the benefits of democracy are further realized.