Six-year single term not Nigeria’s real challenge, says Adebayo

The Social Democratic Party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Adewole Adebayo, has dismissed calls for a single six-year tenure for the president and state governors, describing the ongoing debate as a diversion from more critical national issues.

Speaking on Wednesday during a television interview, Adebayo responded to a proposed bill by the Senate Leader that seeks to introduce a single six-year term for political executives. While proponents argue that such an arrangement would reduce election pressures and allow focus on governance, Adebayo maintained that the length of tenure is not the root of Nigeria’s governance problems.

He argued that the country should instead concentrate on achieving credible and transparent elections.

According to Adebayo, the priority must be to build an electoral system where voters determine outcomes, where the Independent National Electoral Commission operates openly, and where political parties compete on ideas and fresh candidates. He described the current four-year term with the option of re-election as sufficient, provided elections are free and fair.

The SDP candidate also called for issue-based politics, urging parties to focus on policies and programmes rather than personal attacks. He added that strengthening democratic institutions and restoring public trust in the electoral process far outweigh any debate over tenure adjustments.

On reports of multiple presidential candidates emerging from his party, Adebayo said the situation was not a cause for concern and urged INEC to follow the law in resolving such matters.