Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said that four years is too short for the leader of any nation to make meaningful change.
Mr Jonathan said this on Wednesday at the constitutional term limits summit in Niamey, Niger Republic.
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He also frowned at leaders who stay in power for up to 14 years.
“Four years is quite a short period for a country that is developing, for a person who wants to change the country to do much,” Jonathan said.
“When Professor Wade (Senegal) was in his last tenure he changed the constitution and extended the term limits from five to seven years. He thought he would win the election. But Macky Sall reduced it to five years. We must commend dynamic leaders like that.
“There is no need for one person to sit for 14 years doing what? The country is not your personal estate. Countries are free to amend their laws. Just like the president of Niger Republic said, different nations have different ways of doing things, so it is better they have their own way of doing things. I agree with that.
“Most countries in Africa emulate America – that is a stable country, and take ‘four, four years’ like Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.
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“Four years is quite a short period for a country that is developing for a person who wants to change the country to do much. In Nigeria, we just finished the election and some people are already talking about 2023 election. It is distracting.”
Jonathan, who lost the 2015 presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari, advocated for single tenure to enable a leader “plan all his programmes for the good of the country.”
