Former Nigerian President Dr Goodluck Jonathan has questioned the adequacy of the four-year presidential term in Ghana and Nigeria, describing it as a significant impediment to meaningful and sustainable national development.
Addressing ministers and senior government officials at the Executive Leadership Retreat in Ada, Ghana, Dr Jonathan called for a critical reevaluation of the current tenure system in West Africa’s key democracies. He pointed out that Ghana and Nigeria are among the few African nations still operating under a four-year presidential term, while most others have adopted five-year terms.
“In Nigeria and Ghana, our tenure for president is so short. In Africa, it is only Nigeria and Ghana that have a four-year tenure of presidency. Most countries have five years. What can somebody do in four years?” he asked.
Dr Jonathan argued that such a limited timeframe undermines the ability of new administrations to properly settle into office, craft coherent policies, and see them through to implementation. He emphasised that the early months of any presidency are often spent adjusting to the demands of office and building governance structures.
“If you are a new person and you just came in, you need about a year before you will adjust. You work for two years; the next year is an election year. So time to really move your country is very limited,” he explained.
His remarks come amid ongoing discussions in Ghana and Nigeria about the effectiveness of governance frameworks and how structural challenges—such as short political tenures—may be hampering development.
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