Presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, has dismissed proposals for a single six-year tenure for presidents and governors, describing the idea as a distraction from Nigeria’s core governance challenges.
Adebayo spoke on Arise News on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, while reacting to a proposed constitutional amendment by Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, which seeks a one-term, six-year tenure for elected executive office holders.
While supporters say the plan would reduce re-election pressure and improve governance focus, Adebayo argued that tenure length is not Nigeria’s real problem.
He said the priority should be fixing the credibility of elections and strengthening democratic institutions to ensure voters freely determine outcomes through the Independent National Electoral Commission, Independent National Electoral Commission.
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“The problem is not whether it is four years or six years. The problem is building a system that works,” he said.
Adebayo insisted that Nigeria’s current four-year renewable tenure is sufficient if elections are free, fair and credible.
“I think the present system of four years, with the option of another four, is good enough if elections are free and fair,” he said.
He urged a shift toward issue-based politics and dismissed concerns over internal SDP presidential aspirants, describing it as normal party activity.
According to him, Nigeria’s democratic progress depends less on constitutional tenure debates and more on restoring trust in the electoral process.