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With the kind of acrimony brewing in the nation’s polity now, following the outcome of 2023 general election and just concluded electoral court cases it may not be out of place to revisit the vexed issue of a six-year single term for all executive political office holders in the country.
When ex-President Goodluck Jonathan mooted the idea a few years ago, it was hounded out majorly by the opposition on grounds that it was laden with hidden agenda of self-perpetuation. And that Jonathan was to be the chief beneficiary of such arrangement.
But following events in the polity and particularly with regards to 2023 general elections which has been recorded as one of the most acrimonious elections in the history of the country it may not be out of place to start making case for the country to seriously consider the issue of reinventing our own genre of democracy and conduct of elections.
No doubt there are great benefits to be derived from the implementation of that model of tenure duration in governance considering our peculiar political history and setting. If not for anything, Nigerians should ponder on the huge amount of money being expended every four years to organize election. Analysis done so far indicates that Nigerian election is reputed to be one of the most expensive in the world. To put up a simple presidential election runs into billions naira. What with just mere picking of expression of interest form and nomination form going as high as N100 million for one of the political parties. Imagine what that kind of money could do to provide basic infrastructure to a particular locality in the country. We have not talked about campaign expenses and other exigencies involved in the conduct of an election. Thus the huge amount of money guzzled in running and organizing elections in the country can complete many hopeless dilapidated roads, provide functional schools and hospitals and a whole lot of life enhancing projects that will be of benefits to the ordinary Nigerian.
Data provided by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) shows that the February general elections gulped close half a trillion. The just concluded off cycle gubernatorial election in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states also gulped billions of naira.
Annoyance of most Nigerians is that if after spending these huge sums of money the election will be conducted in a free and fair manner, allowing electorates come out to cast their votes and their votes counting at the end of the day it would have been a different kettle of fish and something of consolation and justification for the huge amount of money expended on such exercise.
To some pundits they argue seriously that in most cases the outcome of Nigerian election is already predetermined that a lay man can sit in the comfort of his home to predict what INEC the electoral body will declare at the end of the election.
A case in point is the second term election of Hope Uzodinma in Imo state. Even before the election Nigerians have already known the outcome of the election. Why you may ask? And the reason is that in the last four years Imo state has been made ungovernable with serious cases of insecurity, harassment and intimidation of anybody, community, local government area that is not supporting the sitting governor as the person or community stands the risk losing his life or suffering deprivations and destructions of property.
The outcome or the ‘result’ of the election proved this to be true as people are wondering how a governor will score 27/27 in a state where there are serious disenchantment. People are wondering how such landslide victory could be possible even in the polling units and local government areas where oppositions fielded their own son to contest against him. For instance Mbaise area of Imo state where Emeka Ihedioha comes from couldn’t have voted massively for Hope Uzodinma knowing full well the agony they suffered when their son was dethroned in the infamous Supreme Court ruling of catapulting fourth position candidate in an election to first position to become the governor of Imo state. If that is the case why waste billions to conduct such an election. INEC could have as well asked him to continue and finish his second term without any election.
Same case scenario played out in 2015 when Nigerians were of the view that they could have a change of government following Buhari lack lustre performance which was blamed on his ill health. Even Buhari few days ago confirmed this when he said that his eight years government was hijacked by cabals in Aso Rock. So if this is the case why waste money and resources to organize second term elections in the face of incapabilities and clueless personality. Although
everything possible was done by civil society groups and opposition political parties to effect a change but what did we get at the end of the day, an election that was to a large extent flawed and rated in the negative by civil societies and the international community. Same case was for some states where the governor was sick and incapable and second term election was organized and they still won the election.Thus all the billions expended on such elections were to sustain and perpetuate the status quo.
It is with this hindsight that a proposal of a single term with all intents and purposes would ensure, among other things, a radical and drastic reduction on the financial expenditures often associated with conduct of elections particularly that of second term for incumbents.
With the conclusion of this year’s election all eyes will be in 2027 when the incumbent will be gunning for a second term in another election that will gulp another billions of naira with its attendant rancor and acrimony. It may not be out of way to posit that going by what Nigerians have been seeing since 2015 if the country cannot start this single tenure of six years INEC or whatever authority could as well tell president Tinubu to continue and finish his another four years since the outcome and result of the election is already known before the first vote is even cast in 2027.
This position is predicated on the assumption that if in 2027 president Tinubu will contest for second term a budget of about N500 billion may be earmarked for the election and from all permutations incumbents presidents never loose election ( forget about what happened to Goodluck Jonathan in 2015). But if it’s a case of single term tenure the country will save a lot of money by conducting election every six years and for just one tenure for a candidate.
The way things are going now the country is gradually sliding to one party rule and partial totalitarianism if care is not taken. But the only thing that can save the country will be the experimentation of this single term tenure for presidents and governors as it will make for change of baton from one individual or political party to another every six years and not waiting for eight years and every four years to expend billions of naira in an election that is already predetermined and concluded before casting of the first vote!
Another irrefutable merit of single-term of six years is that such arrangement will excuse the president or governor from unnecessary distraction of working and planning for re-election immediately after winning the first-term election. This will make them to have full concentration on public issues and play less politics with national and state issues. It is further observed that most incumbent presidents and governors make very good use of their first term in office mostly to score cheap political points. They go out of their way to perform well. This is to give them credence and launch pad for re-election.
Also, because most elected executives know that when elected for the second term they will not have anybody to be accountable to as they will not be coming back to ask for the electorate’s votes again. The point should be made that any elected executive that cannot perform will not perform even given third or fourth terms. In fact the general impression is that most of them that return for second term only do so to loot the treasury knowing full well that it will be their last chance. As such, the resources expended to organize the election must have amounted to futility and sheer waste of time and money.
Added to this is that one of the benefits of a single six-year tenure arrangement will be in the area of reduction of bitterness and bad blood of seeking re-election by the incumbent. The wanton destruction of lives and property witnessed every four years in the name of conducting election mostly for second term executives could be reduced if it is only for one term of six years that an elected executive can enjoy before handing over the baton to another person. Even internally in the same political party a lot of bad blood is generated by incumbents seeking re-election as every political arm-twisting is deployed to ensure that no other contender is given the chance to scale through the hurdle once the incumbent has declared intention to run.
A six-year single term would also go a long way to achieve the much sought-after rotational presidency to all the contending six geo-political zones of the country. This is very simple and imperative. Some of the regions in the country have been crying of marginalization as a result of not having taken a shot at the presidency. By adopting this structure all the regions will present a candidate for the presidency and rule for six years. This will give everybody in the country a sense of belonging that they are actually on the same political footing with other zones.
Strong point for single six years term is further accentuated by impression of most Nigerians on the country’s judiciary. To most Nigerians the court should be the last hope of the common man while others are of the opinion that the courts should not be determinants of outcome of elections. They are of the view that elections should be fairly and credibly conducted with real winners emerging.
Situations where politicians who indulge in electoral malpractices and rigging will boldly tell you to go to court are derisively making jest of their opponents knowing full well that the outcome or verdict of the court may in most cases be miscarriage of justice.
This singular attitude makes these politicians to go all out to do anything to win election at all cost with believe at the back of their minds that once they have been declared winner in the first instance it may be difficult to be upturned particularly if they are the political party in power at the centre.
The argument that the two-term system is what is applicable in established democracies, notably the US may not hold much water as Nigeria is not bound to copy-cat all the variants of the American genre of democracy. And who says that Nigeria cannot export this six-year single term to other countries if it experiments it very well? It can be assured that most countries, particularly African countries, where we have one form of instability or the other can emulate this brand of tenure duration and apply it accordingly.
But those arguing against single six-year term has argued that a person who is elected may at the end of the day turn into a dictator or become complacent since they know that they are not going to seek the mandate of the people the second time to return to office. But this assertion may not be entirely sacrosanct as political parties may now know that if a non-performing executive is thriving on this point of their non-return and thus refuse to perform that it will affect the fortunes of the political party in the next election. Such recalcitrant non-performer will be encouraged to perform or even be booted out through the available constitutional means.
The other argument of those against single six-year term is that such arrangement will deny the electorate the right and desire to vote out and shame a non-performing governor or president. This, they posit, is better than just allowing the person to idle away their time for six years and not allowing them have the opportunity and fun of inflicting electoral punishment to the person.
Statistics gotten so far indicate that about 95 percent of incumbents that gun for second term emerge victorious in the second term election.
That they ‘won’ the election does not mean that they are the best or that they performed very well in their first term but because of power of incumbency and deployment of state resources to prosecute the election. The argument then is that if in majority of the cases we know the outcome of the second term election why waste time and resources to go the whole process of conducting the election.
The worst aspect of this is that this second term election not only gulp billions of naira but lots of lives and property are lost. For instance the last off cycle election in the three states consumed the lives of not less than four Nigerians with many property destroyed.
The national assembly headed by the uncommon governor now the uncommon senate president Godswill Akpabio should as a matter of urgent national urgency and importance look into this proposal and commence the necessary legislative fireworks on it. This is with the view of ensuring that it is passed into law in the next two years and set timeline for its take off.
In line with that it is my considered opinion that the best legacy President Tinubu will bequeath to Nigeria is to ensure that single six years term for governors and presidents is enshrined in our constitution for possible take off in four years’ time.
In fact the early starting of this genre of tenure duration will bring about more peace in the nation; reduce acrimony, rancour and politics of bitterness. It would also address the issue of ensuring that all the zones in the country have a shot at the presidency and save the country huge amount of money expended every four years to conduct what is generally called second term elections that the incumbent is overwhelmingly sure of emerging victorious.
Austine Uche-Ejeke is editor-in-chief/publisher Agendapapers and wrote vide [email protected]
