The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has formally submitted a one-term presidency proposal for consideration by the emerging 2027 opposition coalition.
Yunusa Tanko, National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement Worldwide—a grassroots support network for Peter Obi—confirmed the development on Tuesday while speaking at a chieftaincy ceremony in Gombe.
“We have presented it to the coalition. It is there for them to make a decision. But we are confident it can work. This is a pronouncement rooted in integrity, and Peter Obi embodies that. What Nigeria needs now are leaders with integrity,” Tanko said.
Obi’s proposal, first announced on Monday, states that any presidential candidate from the South who wins the 2027 election must be ready to serve only one term, leaving office on May 28, 2031. According to Obi, the move aligns with Nigeria’s “unwritten power-sharing agreement” and the zoning principle, which favours a return of power to the North after 2031.
Tanko explained that although Nigeria’s constitution allows a president two four-year terms, Obi’s pledge is a moral and political commitment aimed at fostering national unity and stability.
“That shows you how prepared and focused he is,” Tanko added.
“Even stabilising electricity alone will solve a multitude of problems. He is promising that under his leadership, Nigeria will become an exporting country again. Planes will no longer leave our airports empty.”
Key opposition figures are working to build a united front to challenge President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general election.
Among those involved in the coalition talks are former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi, and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai. Others include former Senate President David Mark, who recently resigned from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to lead the coalition as National Chairman.
The coalition, which has chosen the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political platform, is set for formal unveiling at the Shehu Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja on Wednesday (today).