The House of Representatives, Tuesday, threw away a bill for an Act to provide for a single term of six years for the office of President, Governor and lawmakers at the state and federal levels.
John Dyegh, the sponsor of the bill, represents Gboko/Tarkaa Federal Constituency of Benue State on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.
Though the sponsor put up a spirited argument for the piece of legislation, the majority of lawmakers shot it down with a thunderous “nay!”
Dyegh, who has been in the House since 2007, had argued that the four-year tenure for members was too short for institutional memory.
”I’m not seeking tenure elongation for anybody, but I just want a provision in the constitution that will reduce the desperation of governors for the second term, where even lives are lost,” he said.
Though a question for the consideration of the general principles of the bill, had the backing of Sergius Ogun (PDP-Edo) and a few others, the groundswell of opposition sunk it.
Yusuf Gagdi (Plateau-APC) kicked against the bill, positing that as a Parliament, ”it is good to speak according to the mood of the country to avoid aggravating the anxiety of the country.
“What is wrong with Nigeria is a lack of respect for gun laws, the 4-year tenure and 8-year maximum tenure for President, should be retained.”
Olumide Osoba (APC-Ogun), Haruna Isa (Kano-APC), and Abdulrazaq Namdas (APC-Adamawa), also rejected the bill, saying that in a situation where there was an unpopular administration, it would be unacceptable to wait for 6 years to change it.
They insisted that the bill shouldn’t be approved for second reading.
Acting Leader of the House, Peter Akpatason (Edo-APC), also warned that the nation should not contemplate a single term of six years for anybody.
The bill was then put to question by the Deputy Speaker, Ahmed Wase, who presided over the debate, with a majority of lawmakers rejecting it.
