After weighing criticisms, which have trailed the proposal to amend the 1999 Constitution in favour of a six-year single tenure, President Goodluck Jonathan may jettison the idea after all.
National Assembly sources dropped hints of this latest development on Tuesday evening. The sources noted that there was no consensus among legal experts assembled to weigh in on the proposals
“In fact, reports from the legal luminaries are varied on the single term tenure bill.
“With divergent views, even in-house, “it was learnt that the Presidency may no longer be keen on the single term proposal which was originally intended at deepening democracy in Nigeria.”
Regardless, debates wre reportedly still ongoing over the propriety of dumping the single term bill. Sources reiterated yesterday that debates were ongoing among the legal experts and draftsmen at the topmost level of power and that some diverse views were being considered.
“While some are of the view that a single term will effectively take care of squabbles leading to a second term in office among contenders, others say that the president should concentrate on strengthening the institutions that will stabilize accountability and probity in the system.”
It also emerged that the Presidency may likely propose amendment of 50 clauses in the constitution review whenever the exercise starts in the National Assembly.
Meanwhile, opposition political parties in Akwa Ibom State continued to oppose President Jonathan’s proposed six-year single term tenure, saying, it would not lead to good governance.
The Labour Party governorship candidate for Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Idorenyin Umo, told Daily Sun yesterday that, instead of causing unnecessary distraction with the proposed bill, the president should rather tackle the pressing economic problems facing the nation.
Umo said single term would still lead to rigging, as the incumbent would do everything possible to install a successor to protect the misdeed of his administration.
“Single term is not the problem of Nigeria; the problem of Nigeria is leadership. That is the problem that we have, which we need to talk about. Talking about single term is a distraction to me in this country. We need to talk about pertinent things that affect the life of the people, not single or two terms.
“I think the four-year two-term is better, so that, if somebody does not performed, you vote that person out. So single term, to me is distraction.”
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