Peter Obi’s ‘one-term presidency’ stirs controversy among Northern stakeholders

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Peter Obi, a prominent member of the opposition alliance and the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has sparked controversy among Northern stakeholders with his vow to serve only one term.

Obi has maintained that if elected president in 2027, he will serve a four-year term.

Obi declared over the weekend that his support for a one-term president is unwavering.

The former governor of Anambra State emphasized that his word is still his bond, saying: “In this context, I reiterate my vow: I will serve only one term of four years if elected President.” And that promise is unbreakable.

“I am fully aware that the decay in our society has made trust one of the scarcest and most sceptically viewed commodities. Many Nigerians, understandably, no longer take politicians at their word.

“But even in this climate of cynicism, there are still a few whose actions have matched their words – whose integrity is built on verifiable precedent.”

Nigerians should question candidates more because politicians break the rules – Hakeem Baba-Ahmed

Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, a former political adviser to President Bola Tinubu, responded to Obi’s assurance by emphasizing that everything is possible, despite the fact that politicians are notorious for breaching the law.

Before the 2027 elections, Baba-Ahmed urged Nigerians to be more demanding of their candidates.

Speaking with DAILY POST, he said: “I have no idea because there are so many permutations and I think politicians are breaking the rules but right now, as we speak, anything is possible in this country.

“I hope that as we get closer to the elections, Nigerians will interrogate every candidate so that they will be specific in terms of what they want to do about the security of the country, about the high cost of living in terms of the collapse of the independence of education and healthcare.

“I hope Nigerians will press every candidate irrespective of the party, we need to pin our candidates down and ask for specific promises.”

Nigerians should choose their president and governors carefully in 2027.

Nigerians should exercise caution while choosing their president and state governors in 2027, according to the former presidential adviser.

He maintained that Nigeria requires decent people who have the political will to stand up for the nation.

Baba-Ahmed said: “I can’t tell you what they would do when they become President but my view is that Nigerians should be very careful about who they elect as president and governors in 2027, it’s very important because we need good people, honest people, people who have the political will to fight, protect Nigerians, and protect the assets of Nigerians.

“Yes, four years is enough. If you come with a set of ideas that are realistic and relevant to the circumstances under which you govern, you pick a good team to work with you, and you pick a good team to work with you, and you avoid the temptation to seek for power rather than the capacity to govern, yes four years is very good.”

It will take four years to transform Nigeria.

Baba-Ahmed also confirmed that a president with the correct ideas may change Nigeria’s course in just four years.

He said: “It wasn’t by accident that those who drafted the constitution said you have four years then you can come back for another four years.

“Four years is good enough and if you are good enough to seek another mandate, we will measure you on the basis of your first four years, so I don’t have a problem with four years.”

Former Arewa Forum Sec Gen. Sani says the North cannot rely on Peter Obi to serve as president for just one term.

Anthony Sani, a former secretary general of the Arewa Consultative Forum, ACF, stated that the North cannot rely on Obi to fulfill his pledge to serve only one term as president.

Obi’s promise of a one-term presidency, according to Sani, is motivated by expediency rather than performance.

In an interview with DAILY POST, he stated that Obi has the constitutional right to seek for two terms.

He said: “I would say the political arithmetic is simple. Peter Obi’s pledge to do only one term of four years from 2027 to 2031 is informed more by his desire to seek accommodation by the politics of zoning which makes it mandatory for the presidency to leave the South in 2031 to the North.

“President Bola Tinubu is the only southerner who has only one term of four years (2027-2031) to go. Any other aspirant is constitutionally allowed to do a maximum of two terms of four years each.

“Naturally, Northerners would prefer President Bola Tinubu to Peter Obi due to the term limits for the two of them: Bola Tinubu has only one term left while Peter Obi can do two terms.

“That is what has compelled Peter Obi to pledge he would do one term from 2027 to 2031.The pledge is not based on performance but informed by expedience.

“And given the nature of politics which is about group goals, group interest, group cohesion,group coherence and even group conspiracy, the decision to recontest after one term would not be taken by Peter Obi alone.

“His group will have a say. As a result, northerners may not trust that Peter Obi will leave office after one term.”

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