NDC Defends Obi’s Single-Term Pledge, Dismisses Okorocha’s ‘Gambling’ Claim

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has defended Peter Obi’s pledge to serve only one four-year presidential term if elected in 2027, dismissing former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha’s description of the proposal as “a four-year gambling”.

The party described the pledge as a constitutional commitment to performance, national stability and leadership accountability, insisting that it was not a political gamble but a deliberate decision to prioritise results over the duration of stay in office.

In a statement issued on Friday and signed by the Director-General of the NDC National Presidential Campaign Council (NPCC), Mallam Ibrahim Hussain Abdulkarim, the party said Obi had voluntarily committed to serving one term, making his administration subject to public assessment based on its achievements.

The NDC was reacting to comments by Okorocha during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where the former governor described Obi as “a fantastic gentleman; clear in his head” but questioned the viability of his proposed single-term presidency.

However, the party argued that the proposal was constitutionally permissible, citing Section 135(2) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for a four-year presidential tenure and allows an incumbent to seek re-election.

According to Abdulkarim, the provision does not make a second term compulsory, adding that Obi’s decision to limit his tenure was a voluntary commitment to deliver measurable results within four years.

He said, “Section 135(2) of the 1999 Constitution provides that a President shall leave office after four years and may seek a further four years. In law, ‘may’ is permissive, not mandatory. A single term is therefore constitutional. It is not a gamble.

“Nigeria already tested an eight-year tenure between 2015 and 2023. The result was rising inflation, a weakened naira, soaring public debt, widespread poverty, and insecurity across the country. That is the real balance sheet of prolonged tenure without performance.

“Peter Obi’s offer is a performance bond, not a gamble. He has pledged to serve one term, to be judged strictly by results, and to hand over power in 2031 in recognition that it is the turn of the North. This is sacrifice for national stability.”

The NDC maintained that Nigeria’s governance challenges were not necessarily caused by insufficient time in office but by the inability of successive administrations to utilise available opportunities to deliver meaningful development.

It argued that Obi’s proposed single-term presidency was intended to shift the focus of political leadership from the length of time spent in office to measurable achievements and the fulfilment of campaign promises.

“Leadership is measured by impact, not duration. Nigeria’s problem has never been insufficient time. It has been the repeated failure to use time well. Mr. Obi proposes to reverse that culture: one term dedicated entirely to delivery,” Abdulkarim said.

The campaign council director-general challenged Nigerians to assess the proposal from the standpoint of accountability, arguing that a presidential candidate willing to forgo a constitutionally available second term was demonstrating a commitment to national service.

“When a man entitled to eight years voluntarily chooses four and invites the nation to judge him by results, he is not gambling. He is sacrificing,” the statement said.

The party further described Obi’s pledge as a time-bound commitment to national recovery and responsible leadership, insisting that the proposal was aimed at restoring public confidence in governance.

“This is not a gamble. It is a rescue mission with a deadline,” the NDC added.