Nigerian presidential hopeful in 2027, Peter Obi has rebuffed claims that his pledge to serve only a single four-year term if elected in 2027 reflects desperation for power, insisting his “one-term, 48-month” promise is rooted in principle, not personal ambitions.
“I still find it baffling that my decision to do a term of four years, if given the mandate to rule this country, is generating so much agitation,” Obi wrote on X on Tuesday. “By this feeling, we are doubting the fact that a sincere leader can achieve much in 48 months.”
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, had accused Obi of “reckless” promise and questioned his record in Anambra State: “After serving two terms, did Anambra look like a state that has been transformed? … You talk about keeping your promises or your vow being your bond, but you and I know that’s not true. You have broken previous promises and usually lie with reckless abandon, sometimes needlessly.”
Also veteran journalist Reuben Abati labelled the one-term vow “a sign of desperation,” arguing it undermines genuine political ambition.
“Any politician that comes to you and says that I am going to do only one term, that is a sign of desperation. ‘I will do one term, serve you food’ that’s not going to work,” Abati said on Arise TV’s Morning Show.
But Obi, who ran his 2023 presidential race on the platform of Labour Party, countered these attacks by contrasting his record with the tactics he associates with desperation, “overly aggressive rhetoric,” “personal attacks,” and “unrealistic or unfulfillable promises.”
Reiterating his clean electoral record he said “Throughout my political journey, I have never been involved in thuggery, the snatching of ballot boxes, or any form of electoral malpractice. Conduct your investigations. You’ll find no stains of rigging or violence associated with my name.”
As the 2027 election approaches, Obi’s single-term pledge remains a political gesture, framed to deliberately position himself as a reformist who can do much in a single-termed presidency, a political bait that has continued to draw backlash from his would-be opponents in the next presidential poll, opposing parties and some Nigerians.
