The House of Representatives has moved to bar any office holder who acted as President or Governor for up to two years, from seeking election to serve beyond one term of four years.
The bill, sponsored by the Deputy Speaker Sulaimon Lasun Yussuff specifically noted: “No person who has held office of president or governor of a state or acting as president or governor of a state for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected president or governor, shall be elected to the office of president or governor of a state more than once.”
Lasun explained that the bill is aimed at giving constitutional protection to the two-term tradition.
He added that by virtue of the provisions of sections 137(1)(b) and 182(1)(b) of the constitution, the President and Governor shall serve in those capacities for a maximum period of eight years.
He admitted that this amendment was inspired by the 22nd amendment to the constitution of the United States which states: “No person shall be elected to the office of the president more than twice and no person who has held office of president or acted as president for more than two years of a term to which some other person was elected president shall be elected to the office of president more than once.”
If this proposed law had come into force before the 2015 presidential election, former President Goodluck Jonathan, would not have contested.
Jonathan spent part of the term of former President Umaru Yar’Adua after he died in office.
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