The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) says Peter Obi’s vow to serve only one term if elected president in 2027 is a political gimmick and not a binding commitment.
Tukur Muhammad-Baba, ACF spokesperson, said the promise is a “personal desire” and has no legal weight, as Nigeria’s constitution permits any elected president to seek a second term.
“The Constitution only gives one term. But you may seek re-election for another term. It doesn’t say you must.
“So, in my opinion, politicians in Nigeria have unwittingly changed the rule — thinking that ruling for eight years is constitutional. It is not,” Muhammad-Baba told Leadership.
Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, had on Sunday reaffirmed his intention to serve a single four-year term, arguing that shorter terms often produce better leadership outcomes. “My word is my bond,” he said.
His comments followed remarks by Anambra governor, Chukwuma Soludo, who questioned the mental soundness of politicians making such promises.
But the ACF said such pledges cannot stand constitutional scrutiny and are often used to curry regional favour in Nigeria’s delicate political balancing.
“Nobody is going to hold him to that promise constitutionally. Buhari once said he would do one term — but he ran again in 2019 and won. That’s the reality,” Muhammad-Baba said.
He stressed that while Obi may mean well, the constitution allows any president to run for a second term — and no moral commitment can override that right.
“So our position is that it’s unnecessary to say so. It’s just a strategy to appeal to certain blocs. If he becomes president, it will be his constitutional right to seek a second and final term,” he said.