Oyo State governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has advocated a single term tenure of five or six years for elected political office holders across all levels of government in Nigeria.
The call by the governor for a single term tenure is against the current double term tenure of four years each.
He stated this when Muslim faithful, including clerics, traditional rulers and political office holders, paid a visit to his Ikolaba, Ibadan residence, shortly after the Eid-el-Kabir prayers, held at the Eid Ground, Agodi, Ibadan, on Friday.
The delegation, led by the deputy governor, Chief Abdulraheem Bayo Lawal, included the Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Senator Rashidi Ladoja; former deputy governor and PDP Deputy National Chairman, Amb. Taofeek Arapaja; and former Deputy Governors Hazeem Gbolarumi and Hamid Gbadamosi.
Others on the delegation included member representing Ibadan North-East/South-East Federal Constituency, Hon. Abass Adigun Agboworin; and Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta States, Alhaji Dawodu Makanjuola.
Addressing the delegation, Governor Makinde congratulated the Muslim faithful on witnessing the year 2025 Eid-el-Kabir.
He thanked them for their prayers and commitment to the state as well as their unflinching support for him and his government over the past six years, urging them to continue praying for the success of his administration.
He noted that a single term tenure of five or six years is enough for any government to focus and serve the people and deliver on its mandate, calling for a constitutional amendment to that effect.
Makinde said: “First, let me use this opportunity to say Barka Da Sallah to our Muslim faithful and we shall have the opportunity to celebrate many more by the grace of God.
“I was just looking at the trajectory for me in government. I have spent six years already and, due to no fault of anybody, we lost the year 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We lost almost one year, campaigning all over the place for the second tenure. Now, people have started distracting us on what I want to do next and all of that.
“So, I feel that, effectively, the time we can say we are very serious with governance is just about five out of the eight years.
“That is why I feel, if you remove all these distractions, a single tenure of five or six years is actually enough to focus and do the work that we are trying to do in eight years.
“Well, we shouldn’t be afraid to say the fact based on data that is available to us. It has nothing to do with me. If they say I should end it, so be it.
“So, I am just calling the attention of our people to this [single term issue] because it is a constitutional issue. We should start looking at it.
“I know that it has been brought to the attention of the National Assembly but, quite frankly, it is a model that should work for this country.”
Delivering the message of the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Owolabi Olakulehin, Otun Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Ladoja, called for more support for the government and prayed for more success and achievements for Governor Makinde’s administration.
Speaking with newsmen after the Eid prayer, Deputy Governor Lawal urged the Muslim Ummah to always exhibit the valuable lessons of obedience, trust and true sacrifice to the will of God.
These valuable lessons, he said, were the doctrines and lessons taught by the Holy Quran.
He thanked Governor Makinde for his commitment to the welfare of workers and the people of Oyo State through prompt payment of salaries.
He also called for more cooperation from the people of the state so that dividends of democracy would further be delivered.
Offering special prayers for Governor Makinde, Professor Kamil Oloso, prayed for more successes for the administration.
He also expressed the appreciation of the Muslim community in the state to the governor for his unwavering support.
Also in the delegation that visited the governor were the Deputy Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Mohammed Fadeyi; PDP State Secretary, Alhaji Wasiu Adeleke; Oloye Nureni Akanbi.
Others also present were commissioners, chairmen and chairpersons of local government areas as well as other government functionaries.
