Peter Obi Reiterates Commitment To One-term Presidency
Mr Peter Obi, former governor of Anambra and presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi in 2023, has reiterated his pledge to serve for only one term of four years if elected president in 2027.
Obi said this in a Statement signed by Mr Valentine Obienyem, his aide on media in Awka on Sunday.
Obi who was reacting to a comment by Gov. Chukwuma Soludo that no politician in his right senses would do just one term in political office said his vow was sacrosanct as he was committed to purposeful leadership over prolonged rule.
He dismissed the remarks as cynicism which reflected a political culture where broken promises are the norm.
He cited Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela as great leaders whose impact were not measured by the number of years in office, but by the quality and impact of their services.
“Mandela served one term and walked away; that was leadership, power must serve the people, not the self.” he said.
Obi said he was aware of the lack of trust among Nigerians towards political promises and blamed the trust deficit on decades of unfulfilled pledges.
According to him, I am fully aware that the decay in our society has made trust one of the scarcest and most sceptically viewed commodities,” he said.
Obi said he fulfilled campaign promises on education, healthcare, rural infrastructure, and financial prudence noting that he neither swore nor was he mentally examined for honouring my word.
“I maintain without equivocation: if elected, I will not spend a day longer than four years in office.”
“Forty-eight months is enough for any leader who is focused and prepared to make a meaningful difference.
“My priority areas include rebuilding trust in public institutions, tackling insecurity through the efficient deployment of national resources, revamping the education and healthcare sectors, catalysing small businesses.
“I want to transform Nigeria from a consuming nation to a productive one anchored on agriculture, technology, and manufacturing.
“Service should be impactful, not eternal, the challenges facing Nigeria demand urge
ncy, not tenure elongation.
