Bill Seeking Six-Year Single Term For President, Governors Scales First Reading

The House of Representatives on Wednesday passed through the first reading a bill, seeking to amend the 1999 constitution to provide for a single term of six years for the Offices of the President, State Governors and Local Government Areas Chairmen to curb wastages occasioned by four years periodic elections.

The private member bill was sponsored by the member representing Ideato North/Ideato South Federal Constituency, Imo State, Ikenga Ugochinyere and 50 other lawmakers.

The proposed bill seeks to alter Sections 7, 135, 137, 180 and 182 (1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

Clause 2 seeks to amend Section 7 of the Principal Act by inserting a new subsection (5) immediately after the extant subsection 4 and before the extant subsection 5 as follows, “(5) A holder of the office of a Local Government Chairman shall vacate his office at expiration of a period of six years commencing from the date such holder was elected into office.”