The one-term presidency pledge by Labour Party 2023 presidential candidate and prominent opposition figure, Peter Obi, has sparked debate among stakeholders in the North.
Obi has consistently reaffirmed his commitment to serve only one term of four years if elected president in 2027.
Speaking over the weekend, the former Anambra State governor insisted that his position remains unchanged.
Reiterating his promise, he said: “It is within this context that I reiterate my vow: I will serve only one term of four years if elected President. And that vow is sacrosanct.”
Reacting to Obi’s reaffirmation, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, former Political Adviser to President Bola Tinubu, noted that while politicians often go back on their promises, anything remains possible in politics.
He urged Nigerians to adopt a more critical approach and hold candidates accountable by making clear demands ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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.”
The former presidential aide emphasised the need for Nigerians to exercise caution when choosing their next president and state governors in 2027.
He maintained that the country requires leaders who possess both integrity and the political will to act in the best interest of 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 avoid the temptation to seek for power rather than the capacity to govern, yes four years is very good.”
He further stated that four years is sufficient for a president with sound ideas and vision to transform Nigeria.
Baba-Ahmed also affirmed that four years is enough for a president with the right ideas to turn the tide around in Nigeria.
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.”
However, a former Secretary General of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Anthony Sani, expressed scepticism over Obi’s pledge, stating that the North may not trust him to stick to a single term in office.
According to Sani, Obi’s one-term promise appears politically calculated rather than rooted in a genuine desire for performance-based leadership.
He said Obi reserved the right to run for two terms, as provided by the Nigerian constitution.
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.”