The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has said the promise by former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to serve for one term if elected in 2027 is a political strategy.
ACF added that Obi cannot be held to it should he decide to do another term because the Nigerian Constitution provides for him to contest two terms.
The spokesperson for the ACF, Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba, cited previous leaders, like President Muhammadu Buhari, who pledged to do one term but eventually contested two-terms.
Obi, yesterday, reiterated his vow to serve for a one-term of four years, adding that his word is his bond.
He said history had shown that leaders who serve shorter terms in office tend to bequeath positive legacies than those who stay longer.
Obi was reacting to scepticisms that have trailed an earlier declaration to serve for one term.
Anambra State governor, Chukwuma Soludo, over the weekend, said those promising to do one-term in office need psychological evaluation.
Obi’s one-term vow was against the backdrop of the power rotation intrigue between the North and South geo-political regions of Nigeria.
After President Muhammadu Buhari’s eight-year tenure as a northerner, the presidency shifted to the South under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu in 2023.
The South is expected to retain the position for eight years before power shifts to the North in 2031, in keeping with the gentleman’s power rotation arrangement.
ACF reacts to Obi’s promise
he ACF spokesperson, Muhammad-Baba, told LEADERSHIP that Obi’s promise is for political strategy, adding that he cannot be held to it should he decide to do another term.
Noting that people confuse constitutional issues with personal desires, Muhammad-Baba, said, “The Constitution only gives one term. But you may seek re-election for another term. It doesn’t say you should seek re-election for a second four-year term. So, in my opinion, politicians in Nigeria have unwittingly changed the rule.
“Thinking that ruling for eight years is constitutional, it is not. There is a clear separation between one term and another. And the first one does not have to guarantee the next one. Ideally, this is the situation.
“If we can recall, Donald Trump of the United States was elected for one term and defeated in his attempt to get a second straight term. But he came back for another term. So there is a clear separation. So in my opinion, by saying he’s going for only one term, he’s not talking of constitutional issues, he is talking about personal desire if, in fact, he can carry it out. But nobody is going to hold him to that promise constitutionally.”
He said if Obi changes his mind to seek reelection nobody is going to compel him to fulfill the promise because it is not constitutional.
“So, in my opinion, saying so is only a campaign strategy to appeal to certain regional blocs and so on.
“But we want to emphasize that it is not a constitutional arrangement and nobody can hold anybody to that kind of promise. In the build up to 2015, if you can remember, there was a time Muhammadu Buhari said he will do one term, in 2019 he came to campaign again, did anybody stop him, of course some people reminded him but that is not a constitutional arrangement, it is not a constitutional requirement it’s not a constitutional provision, so he went on to doing the second consecutive term okay.
“So our position is that it is not necessary to say so because nobody can hold him to that promise since it is not a provision of the constitution once he becomes president, it will be his right to seek a second final term and that is all, and going by historical precedence the most recent one is Buhari he did one term and said he would step down that’s all but he did a second term” he stressed.
My one-term, four-year vow is sacrosanct – Obi
Obi, who reiterated his vow to serve for a one-term of four years, stressed that his word is his bond.
Noting that history has shown that leaders who served shorter terms in office tend to bequeath positive legacies than those who stay longer, he cited leaders like former United States Presidents, Abraham Lincoln and John F Kennedy as well as former South African president, Nelson Mandela as persons who served four years but made immense impact.
Obi said he understands the basis of scepticisms about his vow adding that those who doubt him are judging by a standard where political promises are made to be broken.
Writing on his X handle on yesterday, Obi said “One of the greatest American Presidents, Abraham Lincoln, served only four years, yet his legacy endures as a model of principled leadership. Another iconic figure, John F. Kennedy, did not even complete a full term, yet his vision and ideals continue to inspire generations.
“In Africa, Nelson Mandela, revered globally as a symbol of justice and reconciliation, chose to serve only one term as President of South Africa, despite immense public pressure to stay longer.
“His decision was a deliberate act of leadership, a statement that power must serve the people, not the self. Indeed, history shows that the longer many African leaders remain in power, the more likely they are to be corrupted by it.”
He said longevity in office was not a mark of success, adding that purposeful, accountable service, however brief, defined true statesmanship.
“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.
Obi noted that he was fully aware that the decay in the Nigerian society had made trust one of the scarcest and most sceptically viewed commodities.
“Many Nigerians, understandably, no longer take politicians at their word. But even in this climate of cynicism, there are still a few whose actions have matched their words-whose integrity is built on verifiable precedent.
“Recently, I became aware of two statements aimed, albeit indirectly, at my vow to serve only a single four-year term. One person remarked that even if I swore by a shrine, I still wouldn’t be believed. Another suggested that anyone talking about doing only one term should undergo a psychiatric evaluation.
“I understand the basis of their scepticism. They are judging me by their own standards – where political promises are made to be broken. But they forget, or perhaps choose to ignore, that Peter Obi is not cut from that cloth. I have a verifiable track record that speaks louder than speculation.”
Obi, who noted that his word had been his bond in his political life, said when he entered politics in Anambra State, he made clear and measurable promises to the people which included to improve education and healthcare, to open up rural areas through road construction, and to manage public funds with prudence.
“I fulfilled each of those promises without deviation. I did not swear by a shrine, nor have I been certified mentally unstable as a result of honouring my word.
“My vow to serve only one term of four years is a solemn commitment, rooted in my conviction that purposeful, transparent leadership does not require an eternity.
“If making such a promise qualifies me for psychiatric evaluation, then we may as well question the mental fitness of those who framed our Constitution, which clearly stipulates a four-year renewable tenure.
“I maintain without equivocation: if elected, I will not spend a day longer than four years in office. In fact, I believe that service should be impactful, not eternal.
“We must rebuild trust in our country. I have dedicated my public life to demonstrating that leadership with integrity is not a myth. I have done it before, and I do not intend to betray that trust under any circumstances.”
He said 48 months were enough for any leader who was focused and prepared to make a meaningful difference.
“In that time, I intend not merely to make an impression, but to deliver on concrete promises to: sanitise our governance system; tackle insecurity through effective and accountable use of national resources; prioritise education, healthcare, and poverty alleviation; catalyse small businesses as engines of growth; and combat corruption with unflinching resolve.
“Above all, I will dedicate myself to transforming Nigeria from a consuming nation into a productive one, where agriculture, technology, and manufacturing replace rent-seeking and waste as our national anchors.
“These are not utopian dreams. They are realistic, actionable goals that are achievable within four years,” he said.
We can’t be deceived – Shettima
Also reacting, the president general of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF), Alhaji Yerima Shettima, said Obi’s statement was just a way of getting political attention and recognition, stressing that President Tinubu was already doing well and deserved reelection.
“Well, talk is cheap but we cannot be deceived. So far, President Tinubu is doing well and it is proper he is supported to complete the term of the south. You only look for alternatives when what you have is not good enough, but so far, he is trying and deserves our support. So, for Peter Obi to say if he wins, he will only do one term is deceptive and we will not fall for it,” he said.
2027: Obi Can’t Penetrate The North, Tinubu Has Structures – Keyamo
Amid early permutations and combinations ahead of the 2027 presidential election, Festus Keyamo, one of the vocal ministers in the President Bola Tinubu cabinet, has said that opposition leader Peter Obi cannot penetrate northern Nigeria and garner votes like the incumbent.
Keyamo, a guest on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme, said Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), have political structures in northern Nigeria.
The aviation minister also said the opposition coalition floated on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform would not go far.
Keyamo said, “They are going nowhere in terms of demography.
“I like what is happening; they are putting us on our toes; it will make us work harder, but the numbers are not looking good for them.
“This so-called ADC, in 2027, what they are working on is to bring Peter Obi and Atiku (Abubakar) together to join those numbers and beat our over eight million votes.
“Let me tell you why it is wrong. If you make Peter Obi the deputy to Atiku, three demographic factors will deliver Peter Obi in 2023, but the three will collapse.”
Keyamo listed the three factors he felt favoured Obi in 2023. “The other candidates were Muslims, and so there was only one Christian candidate, and the Christians went to one candidate,” he said.
“The South-East felt cheated, so the South-East went to one point because of the Igbo man.
“And the third demographic: the Obidients, young Nigerians who felt angry, wanted a younger person and all of that because the other candidates were older than him (Obi).
“If you put Peter Obi this time as president, he cannot penetrate the north. We have our structures in the north. We have governors and our structures in the north.”
