The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has dismissed proposals for a single six-year tenure for presidents and governors, describing the debate as a distraction from Nigeria’s more pressing challenges, particularly electoral integrity and good governance.
Adebayo made the remarks during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Wednesday while reacting to plans by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele to sponsor a bill seeking a single six-year term for elected executives. Proponents of the proposal argue that it would allow leaders to concentrate on governance rather than re-election campaigns.
However, the SDP presidential candidate insisted that the country’s major challenge is not the duration of political office but the credibility of the electoral process that produces leaders.
“It’s a distraction. These are all idle talks. A six-year term, a four-year term—that’s not the problem. The problem is that you have to have a system that works,” Adebayo said.
According to him, Nigeria should focus on building a political system where election outcomes reflect the will of voters rather than being influenced by manipulation or irregularities.
“You have to have a political system where the voter decides the winner, where nobody watches INEC as if you are watching a secret society, and where political parties raise ideas and raise new people,” he said.
Adebayo stressed that electoral reform should take precedence over constitutional debates about tenure.
“So, my focus, as we are heading towards the future, is that we must, once and for all, kill the demon of rigged elections. We must, once and for all, allow the voter to vote. So, the issue of how long you stay in power and all of that is irrelevant; it’s what you do when you get there,” he stated.
The SDP flagbearer maintained that the current constitutional arrangement remains adequate if elections are free and credible.
“I think the present system of four years—and if you are good enough, you go for another four years—is good enough if the people who are actually going to the government are going there only by winning a free, fair, and credible election. We should focus on that now,” he added.
Commenting on reports of parallel presidential candidates within the SDP, Adebayo downplayed concerns, describing the situation as a common feature of party politics.
“We are not bothered by that; it’s the normal staple. So, I think the burden is on INEC to try not to waste its time on that and to follow the law,” he said.
He also advocated issue-based politics, urging political parties to compete on ideas, policies and programmes rather than personal attacks or identity-driven campaigns.
“What we can have is a set of political parties competing on a set of ideas, and the media moderating for all of us so that we can have equal hearing. Then, Nigerians can now decide to lay their bed the way they want to lay on it when the time comes,” Adebayo said.
