Why Nigeria must scrap two-term system now — LASU Professor

A Professor of International Relations and Strategic Studies at the Lagos State University, Adewunmi Falode, has advocated a constitutional amendment to introduce a single, non-renewable seven-year tenure for Nigeria’s elected public office holders.

Falode made the recommendation on Tuesday during LASU’s 115th inaugural lecture titled “Bespoke Solutions: Reimagining, Reifying and Realigning the Wheels of the Nigerian State”, held at the Buba Marwa Auditorium.

The professor’s position aligns with earlier calls by Governor Seyi Makinde, former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, economist Pat Utomi, former NBA President Wole Olanipekun (SAN), and ex–Deputy Senate President Ike Ekweremadu — all of whom have pushed for a single term of five to six years for political office holders.

Falode argued that Nigeria’s current two-term, four-year system is “wasteful,” breeding instability and contributing to a “volatile and misaligned” political terrain.

According to him, elected officials barely enjoy five months of uninterrupted governance before getting dragged into post-election litigations and preparations for the next election cycle.

He said countries such as Mexico and the Philippines, which operate a single six-year tenure, provide workable models for Nigeria. A seven-year term, he noted, would allow four years of stable governance, with the remaining three years sufficient for campaigns and resolution of petitions.

Falode lamented the costly nature of Nigeria’s elections, recalling huge expenditures since 1983.

He said, “Democracy has always been expensive in Nigeria. The 1983 election gulped N2bn. In 1999, we budgeted N1.5bn; N42bn in 2011; N108.8bn in 2015; and N242.2bn in 2022. These figures do not include post-election litigations.”

“Despite the staggering sums, countless lives lost and businesses destroyed, the judiciary still ends up determining the final outcome of several elections,” he added.

The professor argued that the constant cycle of petitions, governance interruptions and re-election campaigns has persisted since independence.

He said Nigeria must “tweak its constitution” and domesticate best practices rather than keep copying the American model wholesale, insisting that the country lacks the resources to sustain the U.S.-style two-term structure.

Falode also pushed for what he termed “competitive federalism,” calling for a decentralised centre with stronger states, but not regionalism. He emphasised the need for clearly defined terms of co-existence among federating units.

He noted that Nigeria has repeatedly failed to implement recommendations from constitutional conferences and assemblies, despite their potential to strengthen unity and development.