Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, at the Constitutional Term Limits Summits in Niamey, Niger Republic, said that the four-year term constitutionally given to Presidents is inadequate to expect good performance.
He said, “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 his statement, he proposed the idea that a president should only have a single tenure which should be longer than four years without re-election. According to him, this will cut on the distractions that elections put on current presidents, and also cuts on the expenses of elections that candidates and parties spend every four years.
“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.”
The ex-president was quoted saying: “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.
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“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 with that.
“Most countries in Africa emulate America – that is a stable country, and take “four, four years” like 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.