The Nigerian presidency has gone to cast any resonance to Peter Obi’s recent vow to serve only one term if elected Nigeria’s president in 2027.
Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, reiterated the commitment in a statement on Sunday. He described his decision as a moral one rooted in integrity and public trust.
“My vow to serve only one term of four years is a solemn commitment,” he said. “Purposeful, transparent leadership does not require an eternity.”
He reminded Nigerians of his performance as Anambra State governor.
“I fulfilled every promise I made — in education, healthcare, infrastructure, and public finance,” Obi said. “I did not swear by a shrine, nor have I been certified mentally unstable for honouring my word.”
According to him, “trust is now one of the scarcest and most sceptically viewed commodities in Nigeria.”
“You Lied Then, You’ll Lie Again” — Presidency Responds
But the presidency wasted no time in attempting to dispel it before it holds firm in the mind of people.
Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, dismissed Obi’s pledge as nothing but empty words.
Onanuga took to X to remind the public of an earlier promise Obi allegedly broke:
“You said you’d never leave APGA, but you left,” he wrote. “You and I know you’ve broken promises before. You lie with reckless abandon.”
He accused the former governor of double-speak and dishonesty.
“If you couldn’t transform small Anambra after 8 years, is there any guarantee you’ll do anything meaningful in 4 years as president of a complex Nigeria?” Onanuga questioned.
“You’re neither a Mandela nor a Lincoln or a Kennedy,” he added mockingly.
Onanuga pointed to Obi’s re-election in 2010 as proof that he had once desired more than a single term.
“Why didn’t you walk away after only one term as governor?” he asked.
Obi’s comments have stirred up strong feelings among Nigerians online.
Some see his vow as a bold promise for accountability, while others ask if one term is enough to achieve real change in a country as complex as Nigeria.
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