The Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, Senator Kenneth Eze has denied proposing a 16-year single tenure for president and other elected political office holders in the country, pointing out that his comment was taken out of context.
There has been some reports circulating in the media that Eze who represents Ebonyi central zone, proposed the 16-year single tenure for the elected political office holders including the President and governors.
But Eze in a statement issued by his office yesterday, said he did not submit, or formally propose a constitutional amendment seeking to introduce a 16-year single tenure for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or any other elected political office holder.
He disclosed that the statement attributed to him were made during a broader intellectual discourse on governance stability, policy continuity, and the perennial distractions caused by prolonged electioneering cycles.
According to the statement, “At no time did Senator Eze sponsor, submit, or formally propose a constitutional amendment seeking to introduce a 16-year single tenure for the office of President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria or any other elected political officeholder.
“The remarks attributed to him were made during a broader intellectual discourse on governance stability, policy continuity, and the perennial distractions caused by prolonged electioneering cycles.
“Like many scholars and policymakers who occasionally interrogate constitutional models across the world, Senator Eze merely referenced a theoretical governance framework during a conversation on how to deepen policy implementation and reduce the culture of abandoned projects.
“His comments were exploratory and comparative in nature, not a legislative proposal, not a motion before the Senate, and certainly not a campaign for tenure elongation.
“It is instructive to note that Nigeria operates under the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which clearly provides for a four-year tenure for elected public officials renewable once. Senator Eze remains a firm believer in constitutional democracy, the rule of law, separation of powers, and periodic electoral accountability as foundational pillars of our Republic.
“To extract a fragment of a broader intellectual discussion and present it as a concrete legislative agenda is both misleading and unfair. Public policy conversations often involve examining multiple models; parliamentary systems, single-term presidencies, hybrid frameworks, and other democratic experiments across jurisdictions. Such discourse should not be weaponized for political sensationalism.
“Senator Eze’s commitment has always been to good governance, institutional strengthening, and the long-term stability of Nigeria, not the personalization or elongation of power. As a legislator, his focus remains on laws and reforms that directly improve the welfare of Nigerians and strengthen democratic institutions.
“We therefore urge media practitioners and commentators to uphold the highest standards of responsible journalism by presenting statements in their proper context and avoiding distortions capable of igniting unnecessary controversy.”
