Ugochinyere, 33 Other Reps Vow To Reintroduce Rejected 6-year Single Term Bill

Members of the House of Representatives, numbering 34 whose bill, seeking to amend the 1999 constitution to provide for a single term of six years for the offices of the President, State Governors and Local Government Areas Chairmen was rejected, have said more consultation will be done on the proposed legislation for its reintroduction.

LEADERSHIP reports that lawmakers in Green Chamber of the National Assembly had on Thursday rejected a bill seeking to amend the 1999 Constitution to provide for a single six-year term for the offices of the president, state governors, and local government area chairmen.

But the lead sponsor of the bill, Hon. Ikenga Ugochinyere (PDP, Imo) in a statement on Friday, said the decision on the floor of the House did not put an end to the agitation and hope, expressing optimism that the objective would still be realised.

Ugochinyere said the struggle to reform Nigeria’s constitutional democracy to be all-inclusive and provide avenue for justice, equity and fairness has not been lost.

According to him, “The decision on the floor of the House today (Thursday) not to allow the bill for 6-year single tenure for presidency/governorship and for power to rotate between north and south, all elections to hold in one day, not to scale 2nd reading does not put an end to agitation and hope that we will realise this objective.

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“This is a temporary setback which does not affect the campaign for all-inclusive democratic process. We are going to review these decision and find possible ways of reintroducing it after following due legislative procedures. All I can tell Nigerians is that we will continue the advocacy and convince our colleagues to see reason with us.”

The lawmaker noted that if elections are held in one day, it will reduce cost and rigging, and if power rotates, it will help de-escalate political tensions while six-year single term will go a long way in helping elective leaders focus on delivering their democratic mandate.

“All hope is not lost, we will continue the advocacy and we hope that when reintroduced, our colleagues will support it,” the chairman, House committee on petroleum (downstream) stressed.