SAN backs six-year single term for presidents, others

Former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Chief Wole Olanipekun SAN, at the weekend, threw his weight behind the call for a single six-year term for the President, Vice President, Governors, and Deputy Governors, in order to achieve political stability, equity, and accelerate the development of the country.

Olanipekun spoke in his country home, Ikere Ekiti, during the 5th empowerment program and 28th Scholarship Award scheme organized by the Wole Olanipekun Foundation (WOF), where no fewer than 150 indigents benefited from the foundation.

The legal icon disclosed that the proposition had long been on the table and was initiated by the NBA when he was the President of the association.

He explained that the NBA was the first to put forward the suggestion in a more realistic way to promote and foster unity in the country, regretting that the former president, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, rejected the idea at that time.

Olanipekun said, “When I was the president of NBA, 2002-2004, we originated it. It was one of the proposals we brought to Obasanjo as president, but he rejected it. The proposal was beautifully crafted, and the plan was to stabilize the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and we suggested a single term of five or six years for presidents.

“We suggested that since there are six geopolitical zones in Nigeria if the President comes from the southwest, there will be six Vice Presidents, but those VPs must have a portfolio like the Ministry of Justice, Education, Defence, FCT, and Works.

“A geopolitical zone that has a Vice President of Education will not have a Minister of Education. We read it out for him, and if, per adventure, the president of a geopolitical zone is impeached or dies in office, the Vice President from his geopolitical zone will complete his tenure.

“We would have stabilized the system, but it didn’t work. I am still of the view that we have to do something about the Constitution. We have to look into it. The constitution, to me, is not federal; it does not reflect what we have on the ground as people of Nigeria, as the context of Nigeria.

“We should have a constitution that is homegrown. No constitution is perfect, but we can’t continue with an imperfect constitution. It’s just a house with no good foundation, and something has to be done to it.”

On the scholarship and empowerment program, Olanipekun stated that since its inception in 1996, a total of 4,219 Nigerians have benefited from the annual programs.

He said the Wole Olanipekun Scholarship Scheme (WOSS) had initially produced a total of 3,019 beneficiaries and 800 in the Wole Olanipekun Foundation (WOF) Empowerment Program, with 150 and 250 beneficiaries in 2024, respectively.

“The scholarship program covers secondary education level, university undergraduates, and Law School candidates,” Olanipekun added.

In his remarks at the event, the Ekiti State Governor, Mr Biodun Oyebanji, lauded Olanipekun for the support and benefits given to the people, especially the vulnerable in the state, in education and employment drives.

The governor called on other well-meaning Ekiti indigenes to emulate the exemplary role of Olanipekun in order to move Ekiti forward.

Oyebanji, while addressing journalists at the event, appealed to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) to spare Ekiti from the proposed industrial action planned to begin on Monday, December 2, in states where payment of the N70,000 minimum wage has not started.

He added that all arrangements had been concluded to commence the minimum wage payment, as agreed upon by the labour unions.

The traditional monarch of the community, Ogoga of Ikere-Ekiti, Oba Adejimi Alagbado, described the legal icon as “an outstanding and distinguished leader of the kingdom.”

The monarch urged the youths “to shun social vices such as cybercrime, fraud, laziness, and rituals, among others, for a better tomorrow.”