Former PDP deputy governorship candidate in Ogun state, Reuben Abati, has dismissed Peter Obi’s vow to serve only one term if elected president in 2025, describing it as a desperate political tactic unlikely to resonate, especially in northern Nigeria.
Speaking on Arise TV on Monday, Abati said the former Anambra governor’s promise was a “sign of desperation” and questioned its strategic value in Nigeria’s current political context.
His words: “I’m saying that any politician that comes to you and says, ‘I’m going to do only one term,’ that’s a sign of desperation.
“It will not work. Just like all these gambits about serving food, carrying plates, and doing boy-oh-boy at parties that event organisers could better organise — it’s also a sign of desperation. It doesn’t work. It will never work.”
Obi had on Sunday reaffirmed via his X page that his pledge to serve only four years was “sacrosanct,” citing historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela as inspirations for purposeful leadership within a limited time.
He argued that extended time in office often corrupts African leaders and insisted that brevity in service can still produce meaningful results.
But Abati questioned the practicality of Obi’s vow, stressing that Nigeria’s core political challenges go beyond individual promises.
He stated: “The civil war in this country has never ended. I don’t believe that northerners who are already aggrieved with a Yoruba president will just shift and embrace the possibility of an Igbo president.
“There are contradictions in this country that have not been sorted out. We should emphasise competence and ability.
“If the Nigerian people are politically educated to a point where they can vote for a competent person, regardless of where he comes from, regardless of his religion, that’s when this country will begin to move forward.”