Chief Wole Olanipekun, a renowned legal practitioner and former President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), has voiced his strong belief that the single-term presidency proposal made to former President Olusegun Obasanjo would have significantly contributed to stabilizing Nigeria’s political landscape. Olanipekun described the proposal as “beautifully crafted” and suggested it could have fostered more equitable governance by rotating the presidency among Nigeria’s six geo-political zones.
Olanipekun made these remarks during the 28th Scholarship Award Scheme and 5th Empowerment Programme of the Wole Olanipekun Foundation. The event, which saw 150 students receiving scholarships and another 150 individuals awarded Youth Entrepreneurs’ Grants, was an occasion for Olanipekun to reflect on the political reforms he believes could have made a difference in Nigeria’s governance.
The legal expert explained that the single-term presidency proposal, which was presented to Obasanjo during his presidency, was intended as an experimental approach to stabilizing Nigeria. He revealed that the proposal was based on extensive research and careful consideration of Nigeria’s political realities at the time.
“Beautifully crafted, by that time we presented it to him, we said, ‘Mr President, for us to stabilise this Republic, experiment this’,” Olanipekun recalled. “We suggested to him (Obasanjo) a single term of five or six years. We worked on it, we researched on it,” he added.
Olanipekun further elaborated on the structure of the proposed system, which was designed to address regional concerns by ensuring that each geo-political zone would produce a Vice President with specific responsibilities tied to their region. This, according to Olanipekun, would have promoted a sense of inclusivity and balanced representation in the country’s leadership.
However, despite the potential benefits, the proposal was ultimately rejected by Obasanjo, an outcome that Olanipekun lamented. “It didn’t work out,” he said, expressing disappointment that the opportunity for reform was missed.
In addition to the failed proposal, Olanipekun also addressed the state of Nigeria’s current Constitution. He argued that the Constitution does not adequately reflect the country’s realities and needs. According to Olanipekun, Nigeria deserves a constitution that is “home-grown,” one that is tailored to the unique socio-political dynamics of the nation.
“The Constitution, to me, does not reflect what we have on the ground as Nigeria. We deserve a Constitution that is home-grown,” Olanipekun said, advocating for a more inclusive and regionally representative legal framework.
