Lawyer and politician, Kenneth Okonkwo, has declared that there is nothing wrong in the declaration by Labour Party chieftain, Peter Obi, that he would only be in office for a single term of four years if elected as President of Nigeria in 2027.

Speaking in an interview with Arise News, Okonkwo stated that the constitution provides for a term of four years, not eight years, and Obi’s statement is in accordance with constitutional provisions.

The veteran Nollywood actor added that the controversies generated by Obi’s declaration of intent to serve only for four years in office are a result of the distrust in Nigeria’s political system and that of many other developing nations.

Naijaonpoint reports that Okonkwo, during the interview, also recognised the constitutional provision that allows an elected official to seek another term of four years.

He, however, criticized politicians in the country for being overly eager to secure a second term, describing them as acting as if they have no other job.

“First and foremost, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria made it clear in section 135, subsection 2 and section 180, subsection 2 of the Constitution that it is very clear. The term of a president or a governor is four years.

“The constitution was direct. He said the president, after spending four years in office, vacates his office. At times, politicians behave as if they don’t have any job. So when somebody says he’s going to spend only four years, he simply stated a constitutional provision.

“But here is just a little addition. The constitution say you are no longer qualified to contest if you have contested for that position twice in previous elections and this is by section 137 subsection 1B and section 187 subsection 1B. So the issue here is this. If you say you want to contest one term, that is your own idea. That is your own opinion. You are entitled to it.

In Nigeria and in some African countries where elections are deemed not to be free and fair. That’s where you have all these unnecessary argument. Why did I say that? Even abroad you’re not sure even when you an incumbent whether if you recontest whether you will win that is where you will know that your term of office is not 8 years it’s not two terms it’s one term so it ought not to even be a point of argument because even if you an incumbent if you recontest you can fail the only thing the con say is that if you fail 100 times if you have not been elected twice you are still qualified to be governor or president. So for me I do not see any issue whatsoever except like you said distrust of themselves and two because of the belief that there is no free and fair election. If there is free and fair election then the issue of two term 8 years will not arise,” Okonkwo declared in response to the trending controversies generated by Obi’s public declaration that he won’t use more than four years if elected as President of Nigeria.

Rotational Presidency

Furthermore, the former Peter Obi presidential campaign spokesperson added that it would be political suicide for any southern politician to aspire to eight years in office, counting from 2027, because President Bola Tinubu has already taken up four years based on the unwritten rotational presidency code operational in Nigeria’s political space.

He said nobody will vote for a fresh politician seeking Nigeria’s presidency in 2027 and intending to use eight years in office regardless of the region.

“But here is another issue. Because of our rotational arrangement which has this proposition of 8 years for south, 8 years for north, politicians now do not want to place themselves in a disadvantaged position because 4 years having been taken by a southern politician. If you are a fresh politician and you want to do another eight years, you will know that you are dead on arrival. So it’s a political strategy on its own for you to ask for a term. But here is another issue. By agreeing you will do one year, you do four years. You have also agreed that if there is any other notherner that say you will do also four years, then both of you are at the same level of equity because there would be no injustice either section. So there’s nothing wrong in a party for instance especially an opposition party that doesn’t have an incumbent, saying in order that Nigerians will be free to trust them that they are going to have a transitional government whereby whoever is going to contest would have to agree to do one term and do not exercise his constitutional right to recontest. A party can do that so that whether they present a candidate from the north or from the south the Nigerians from either section will not feel that they have been betrayed or an injustice metered out to them,” he said.

It’s A Political Strategy

Speaking more specifically on Obi’s promise to only be in office for four years if elected as Nigeria’s president in 2027, Okonkwo submitted that it is simply a political strategy and not because the former Anambra State Governor wants to be like some international leaders he mentioned in one of his statements.

He argued that any politician is also free to say they are not interested in exercising the constitutional right to seek a second term in office.

“But of course if this were 2023 the same political uh the same politician and presidential candidate or aspirant would not make the same promise. Like I said as it stands today a southerner has taken four years. So it will be political suicide for you to come and say you want to do 8 years. Nobody will vote for you not even from south or from the north. So it is purely a political strategy nothing else. Anybody telling you he is because he wants to be like Mandela or want to be like this. No that’s not true. But again the person may want to tell you that just for you to believe he will do four years. He may want to tell you that he can still achieve his basic objectives within four years. just to encourage you to know that he is serious in not trying to exercise his constitutional right to recontest election. So there is nothing beyond political strategy. That’s what it is,” Okonkwo stated.