Human rights lawyer and constitutional scholar, Professor Chidi Odinkalu, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu is positioning himself to remain in office beyond the constitutionally recognised two-term limit, insisting that the current administration is laying the groundwork for what he described as a third-term agenda.
Odinkalu made the assertion on Tuesday while speaking on Naija Unfiltered, a programme hosted by Olawale Oluwade, where he argued that recent political and legislative developments point to what he believes is a calculated plan to extend President Tinubu’s stay in power.
“There’ll be a third term,” Odinkalu declared.
Pressed on whether he genuinely believed the President would seek to remain in office beyond 2031, the former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission replied: “Yes. But as I said, let me repeat myself. There’ll be a third term.”
He dismissed suggestions that the Tinubu administration was making sweeping political moves merely to secure another four-year mandate.
“President Tinubu has not done all of this just for another four years. There will be a third term,” he said.
According to him, anyone who dismisses the possibility is ignoring what he described as mounting evidence.
“And anybody who is doing, ‘it is not our portion,’ is not reading the evidence,” he added.
Odinkalu also took aim at the National Assembly, accusing federal lawmakers of abandoning their constitutional responsibility and functioning merely as an extension of the Executive.
“The current National Assembly is anything but national or an assembly. And if it’s an assembly, it’s not a parliamentary one,” he said.
While many critics have labelled the legislature a “rubber stamp,” Odinkalu argued that the description was too generous.
“Many people have called it a rubber stamp, but I think that is actually abusive of rubber stamps. I think this National Assembly is a disgrace,” he stated.
He cited the speedy passage of legislation, including the restoration of Nigeria’s old national anthem and the recent State Police Bill, as evidence that Parliament no longer performs effective legislative scrutiny.
“If you can change your national anthem in less than 24 hours with no public hearing, no public consultation, no public involvement, it tells you you don’t have a country because a national anthem is fundamental to the construction of a national identity,” he said.
Referring to the processing of the State Police Bill, he added: “We introduced the bill to create state police… and we do first reading, second reading, committee stage, passage in less than two hours. Who does that?”
Odinkalu further alleged that plans were underway to amend the Constitution by replacing the current four-year renewable presidential tenure with a single six-year term, a move he claimed could ultimately benefit the incumbent President.
“Once we finish our elections, we’re going to amend our Constitution, introduce a single six-year presidential term. The current incumbent will be elected until 2031. In 2031, what will happen? The question will be, will he be entitled to run on the six-year term or will he not?” he queried.
According to him, supporters of such a move would rely on legal arguments that constitutional amendments should not operate retrospectively.
“You will then get the best Senior Advocates in Nigeria telling you the law is not retrospective,” he said.
Odinkalu also linked the alleged agenda to ongoing legal debates surrounding former President Goodluck Jonathan’s eligibility to contest another presidential election.
“That is why the administration is supporting the litigation over President Jonathan’s tenure—not because the Constitution is not clear, but because they will say there is precedent,” he claimed.
The senior lawyer said his concerns were reinforced by comments previously made by Senate Majority Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, on constitutional reforms.
“There will be a third term, and I’m prepared to bet on it,” Odinkalu declared.
