The position of the consul was a temporary one so they could not hold power for long.
Explanation:
The position enjoyed by the consul of the Roman Republic was only there for a couple of years after someone else was elected as Consul and the one who had been a consul before can never be re elected from then on.
Thus, the position could only be held once in the life of one politician and they were also only able to hold it for a short amount of time.
This made it harder to garner power.
The amount of time it would take to spread influence and gain more power was not given to the consuls and another was appointed.
