Nigeria’s former President Dr Goodluck Jonathan that four years tenure for a single term in office is not enough for a meaningful impact in a country, while also noting that the sit-tight syndrome is wrong and apolitical for a leader to remain in power for 14yrs since its not a private estate.
Former President Jonathan made this disclosure in Niamey, Niger Republic during the constitutional term limit summit sitting and added that it could make elections very expensive.
GEJ cited Nigeria as a case study where elections of 2023 has already taken centre stage in political discourse today which leads to serious distraction on performance in office. He said that this has been menacing the developing world for decades.
He said: “When Professor Wade (Senegal) was in his last tenure, he changed the constitution and extended the term limits from five to seven years”.
‘’He thought he would win the election. But Macky Sall reduced it to five years. We must commend dynamic leaders like that”.
‘There is no need for one person to sit for 14 years, doing what? The country is not your personal estate. Countries are free to amend their laws. Just like the president of Niger Republic said, different nations have different ways of doing things, so it is better they have their own way of doing things. I agree to that”.
“Most countries in Africa emulate America that is a stable country, and take four years as tenure. Such countries include Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana”.
“Four years is quite a short period for a country that is developing for a person who wants to change the country to do much.
‘’In Nigeria, we just finished the election and some people are already talking about 2023 election. It is distracting.
“That is why some people come with the idea of a single tenure; so a president can sit down and plan all his programmes for the good of the country”.
‘’We are too distracted with these elections. Why must we waste money every four years to elect a leader? Those are the things that agitate our minds.”
You will recall that the former president Dr. Goodluck Jonathan had canvassed for a tenure extension of six years for a single term but was adjudged to be interested in perpetuating himself in power.
Dr. Jonathan was defeated by the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari, in the 2015 elections and remained the first incumbent to be defeated in an election in Nigeria.
© Control TV 2019.
