The presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDC), Adewole Adebayo, has rejected proposals for a single six-year tenure for presidents and governors, describing the debate as a distraction from Nigeria’s more pressing challenges.

Adebayo stated this during an interview while reacting to plans by Senate Leader, Opeyemi Bamidele, to sponsor a bill seeking a single six-year term for elected executives.

Supporters of the proposal argue that a single tenure would allow elected officials to focus on governance without the pressure of seeking re-election.

However, Adebayo insisted that the country’s primary concern should be ensuring credible elections and creating a system that works rather than altering the tenure of political office holders.

“It’s a distraction. These are all idle talks. A six-year term, a four-year term; that’s not the problem. The problem is that you have to have a system that works,” he said.

He further stated that we need to have a political system where the voter decides the winner, where nobody watches INEC as though you are watching a secret society, where political parties raise ideas and new people.

Adebayo maintained that the current constitutional provision of a four-year term remains adequate if elections are conducted freely and fairly.

“I think the present system of four years, if you are good enough and you return for another four years is good if the people who are actually going to government are going there only by winning a free, fair and credible election. We should focus on that now,” he added.

Speaking on reports of multiple presidential candidates emerging within the SDP, Adebayo dismissed concerns over the development and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to follow the law in resolving such issues.

The SDP candidate also called for issue-based politics, urging political parties to compete through policies, programs and ideas rather than personal attacks.

He stressed that strengthening democratic institutions and restoring confidence in the electoral process remain more important than discussions about extending or shortening political tenures.