Presidential Elections in Nigeria form a major part of our underdevelopment due to circumstances imposed on the people by those who want to continue to keep them down. Perhaps, this is time to do away with the Four – Year double limit.

President Bola Tinubu spent barely one year in office when campaigns for a second term began. Now they are in full swing, leaving the task of moving the country away from perdition in jeopardy. The next elections are three years away but hangers – on are already thinking of their pockets.

It will be unfair to blame this gluttony on Tinubu. Far from it. The same greedy circle hovered round Dr. Olusegun Obasanjo, deceived Dr. Goodluck Jonathan and had a field day under Gen. Muhammadu Buhari. We, the people, suffer the consequences.

If wishes were horses, I would change the Nigerian constitution to allow a President serve one straight six – year tenure and leave the scene forever. There will be no need for re –  election. The import is that a leader must hit the ground running.

Most of those who became president never prepared adequately for the big job. Alhaji Shehu Shagari had his mind elsewhere when the National Party of Nigeria (NPN) ticket was handed over to him. Earlier permutations centred around Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe, until the Owelle was dragged into the Nigerian Peoples Party (NPP).

Obasanjo was an afterthought to pacify the Yoruba after Chief Moshood Abiola died in detention. OBJ thus became another Nelson Mandela who rose from prisoner to president. Small wonder, between 1999 and 2003, Vice President Atiku Abubakar pulled more weight than his boss.

It is an open secret that Obasanjo stooped to conquer by begging his way into a second tenure. Possibly, because Atiku  was de facto leader until May 2003, OBJ was encouraged by some of his allies to try a third tenure to make up.

Alhaji Umaru Yar’adua was eager to go back to his farm when Obasanjo fished him out to run for the plum job in 2007. All eyes were on Dr. Peter Odili who had gone round the country convinced that Aso Rock would welcome a first Igbo president. It did not happen. OBJ delivered the office to the North.

Jonathan did not have presidential dreams. He never knew power would come so easily. It began with the demonsiation of the Governor – General of Izon Nation, Diepriye Solomon Peter (DSP) Alameyeseigha. GEJ began to  rise. A former Customs officer replaced a retired Air Force Squadron Leader as governor, became a Vice President and then Mr. President.

Buhari had retired  to Daura weeping. A man who tried three times and failed, had every right to be frustrated. Jonathan’s Supporters Club  henchmen were poor in political calculations. Tinubu, the erstwhile Governor – General of Nigerian Politics, took advantage of that. PMB was refurbished and sold to the electorate.

Tinubu was so busy studying Nigerian Politics 101 that he spared less time for Government 101. Even Buhari was smart enough to exit power without hammering the people with incessant fuel price hike. In power, it is so difficult to believe that the man who did so well in Opposition is the same person in Position today.

After Tinubu, we should consider changing from the status quo, to a straight Six – Year limit for the President. And it must be written in Black and White that the presidency must rotate among the Six Geo – Political Zones. This is one way to reduce tension in the land.

Since we moved into the Fourth Republic in 1999, the South – West and North – West have benefitted immensely from the Highest Office. The South – South walked away from their much taunted Minority position to drink from the pipeline in Abuja.

Pathetically shut out, are the South – East, North – East and North – Central. This has to be addressed, after the Tinubu Presidency, if indeed we agree that the Nigerian nation is for us all. I am convinced that we are not yet a nation, small wonder people complained when Buhari abandoned the Coast and faced Niger Republic and Tinubu has been pilloried for falling in love with the Lagos – Calabar Coastal Highway when the Sagamu – Benin Expressway is begging for attention.

The time is ripe for  Independent Candidates to eye the Presidency. The emergence of Peter Obi in 2023 points towards that direction. I am cock sure that without PO and his Obedients, the Labour would die a natural death. That party had men like Segun Mimiko and Adams Oshiomhole in the past but not much was achieved.

Obi changed the dynamics. Now that we do not know the difference between Labour Party and Labourers of the PWD ( Public Works Department), I would not be surprised if Obi walked away from the sponsored crisis. Such a man will make a good Independent Candidate. The first American President, George Washington, won elections without party affiliation.

Some countries are doing well with the One – Tenure limit. In South Korea, it lasts five years. Filipinos chose six years, just like Mexico while Armenia and Kazakhstan settled for seven years. It is four years in Colombia, Paraguay and five years in Guatemala.

The Swiss are doing so well managing their differences. They adopted the non – consecutive One – Year tenure. If that happened in Nigeria, I am sure that presidents would have emerged from the Zuru, Egun, Kalabari, Tangale, Kwoi and Ebu.

There is little difference between Nigeria and Philippines were Imelda Marcos had more shoes in her closet than all cash available to the poor in Olongapo.The same with Paraguay, where  Gen. Alfredo Stroessner peed on the tyre of an aircraft and got a smart salute from his Aide de Camp. Those countries have changed to One – Term presidency.

This long stretch of eight years double tenure has not brought development. Mongolia dropped it about three years ago. Life is good there now. We also need good life here.