KEY POINTS
- Governor Bago says re-election pressure limits decisive governance.
- Support grows for a single term for governors across sectors.
- Critics warn institutional weakness could undermine reform.
Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago has reopened a long-running debate over Nigeria’s constitutional term limits after publicly admitting that the pursuit of re-election has constrained his ability to govern decisively.
Speaking last month at the swearing-in of newly appointed commissioners, local government chairmen and senior officials, Bago said fear of alienating political allies ahead of the 2027 election had discouraged him from taking tough but necessary decisions. His remarks, rare for a sitting first-term governor, have triggered fresh calls for constitutional reform and renewed scrutiny of Nigeria’s two-term executive system.
“There are steps I ought to have taken to move the state forward but I dare not,” Bago said, citing cases where underperforming officials escaped sanctions because of political considerations. He argued that a single term for governors would allow leaders to focus fully on governance rather than electoral survival.
Why single term for governors is gaining traction
Support for a single term for governors has emerged across political, legal and civil society circles. Former Senate President Adolphus Wabara said the proposal could curb corruption and waste linked to second-term campaigns, arguing that incumbents often divert public funds toward re-election efforts instead of development.
Legal experts echoed the view. Bolaji Ayorinde, a senior advocate of Nigeria, said a single, non-renewable term could free executives from “electoral calculation,” enabling bolder reforms and longer-term planning. Human rights lawyer Femi Aborisade added that the current system weakens citizens’ socio-economic rights when leaders prioritise political survival over service delivery.
The idea is not new. A single-term presidency and governorship featured in the 2014 National Conference report and earlier constitutional debates. What distinguishes the current moment is that the call comes from a serving governor who says the system has limited his own performance.
Doubts over single term for governors reform
Critics warn that tenure reform alone will not fix Nigeria’s governance problems. Some analysts argue that a single term for governors could encourage recklessness or accelerated corruption if leaders feel unaccountable to voters. Others fear policy instability and weak institutional memory.
Former education minister Ihechukwu Madubuike said Nigeria’s challenges stem less from tenure length than from leadership quality and institutional weakness. Civil society leaders also stress that without strong legislatures, independent anti-corruption agencies and credible elections, any tenure model risks abuse.
Bago, two years into his first term, has not proposed a specific duration for a single term or a timeline for implementation. Still, his candour has shifted the debate from theory to lived experience, forcing Nigerians to reconsider whether the two-term system serves governance or politics.
