The National leadership of the All Progressives Congress has berated the 2023 Presidential candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, over his comment on a one-term Presidency if elected to office in 2027.
Speaking in a press statement issued via its verified X handle on Monday, the ruling party described Obi’s declaration as a calculated attempt to sway voters.
Dismissing Obi’s promise as disingenuous, which a part of the Labour Party (LP) belittled, while the rival portion tagged the statement as a show of discipline and commitment, reminded the economic expert that Nigeria is not Anambra State, urging Nigerians to refrain from believing Obi’s claims.
“Let’s call Obi’s statement what it is — a veiled admission that he lacks the competence, stamina, and policy grounding to govern Nigeria beyond four years. Nigeria is not Anambra State.
“Running a country of over 200 million people with multi-layered challenges cannot be a part-time project or a four-year experiment.
“Anyone who truly understands the magnitude of Nigeria’s challenges would not speak of timelines — they would speak of blueprints, strategy, and results”
“This so-called one-term agenda is nothing but political opportunism disguised as humility. Obi knows he has no viable plan to transform Nigeria, no national coalition, and no real track record at the federal level.
“Promising one term is his desperate way of lowering expectations in advance and creating an exit route for inevitable failure. Nigerians must reject such cowardly politics,” the statement read.
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“Obi’s tenure as Anambra governor was riddled with underwhelming results hidden behind PR stunts. His achievements, often exaggerated in the media, lacked transformational impact.
“Even basic infrastructure and industrialisation were neglected. If that was the best he could offer as governor, why should Nigerians entrust him with the presidency — even for a day, let alone four years?”
Meanwhile, Chukwuma Soludo, Governor of Anambra State, had previously expressed scepticism over Peter Obi’s one-term presidency pledge.
Soludo rejected the one-term presidency promise, arguing that any politician who makes such a commitment should have their mental health seriously questioned.
“How can anybody with a functioning brain say that? Do you think you’re speaking to fools? You come to people and say you will do only one term. Any politician who says that must be sent to a Psychiatric home because the person must have some mental problems.”
The governor noted that the Nigerian Constitution permits a renewable four-year term and questioned the rationale behind any politician willingly restricting themselves to just one term in office.
In a bid to vindicate himself, the ex-presidential candidate, through the social media platform X, responded, citing the legacies of respected leaders like Abraham Lincoln, Nelson Mandela. He validated his previous statement, insinuating that longevity in the office does not determine good leadership.
He 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.
“Indeed, history shows that the longer many African leaders remain in power, the more likely they are to be corrupted by it. Longevity in office is not a mark of success; rather, it is purposeful, accountable service — however brief — that defines true statesmanship,” he said
