The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has rejected the promise made by former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to serve only one term if elected in 2027.
The prominent northern group described Obi’s pledge as a political strategy.
GoldenNewsNg recalls that Peter Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, vowed to serve a single four-year term if elected President in 2027.
In a statement to journalists on Sunday, Obi reaffirmed that, if elected, his longstanding commitment to serve only one term would be upheld.
He described the vow as “sacrosanct,” emphasizing his dedication to purposeful leadership rather than prolonged tenure.
Obi referenced global figures such as Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela, who demonstrated that impactful leadership is achievable within a single term.
He noted that the measure of great leadership lies not in the length of time served but in the quality and impact of one’s service.
However, in response to Obi’s statement, the ACF asserted that the former governor cannot be legally bound by this promise should he choose to run for a second term, as the Nigerian Constitution permits a president to serve two terms.
Speaking with Leadership, ACF spokesperson Professor Tukur Muhammad-Baba cited past leaders, including President Muhammadu Buhari, who initially pledged to serve only one term but later sought re-election, as examples.
Muhammad-Baba said Obi’s promise is a campaign strategy, adding that he cannot be held to it should he decide to do another term as the constitution allows it.
He said, “The Constitution only gives one term. But you may seek re-election for another term. It doesn’t say you should seek re-election for a second four-year term. So, in my opinion, politicians in Nigeria have unwittingly changed the rule.
“Thinking that ruling for eight years is constitutional, it is not. There is a clear separation between one term and another. And the first one does not have to guarantee the next one. Ideally, this is the situation.
“If we can recall, Donald Trump of the United States was elected for one term and defeated in his attempt to get a second straight term. But he came back for another term. So there is a clear separation. So in my opinion, by saying he’s going for only one term, he’s not talking of constitutional issues, he is talking about personal desire if he can carry it out. But nobody is going to hold him to that promise constitutionally.”
“So, in my opinion, saying so is only a campaign strategy to appeal to certain regional blocs and so on.
“But we want to emphasize that it is not a constitutional arrangement and nobody can hold anybody to that kind of promise. In the build up to 2015, if you can remember, there was a time Muhammadu Buhari said he will do one term, in 2019 he came to campaign again, did anybody stop him, of course some people reminded him but that is not a constitutional arrangement, it is not a constitutional requirement it’s not a constitutional provision, so he went on to doing the second consecutive term okay.
“So our position is that it is not necessary to say so because nobody can hold him to that promise since it is not a provision of the constitution once he becomes president, it will be his right to seek a second final term and that is all, and going by historical precedence the most recent one is Buhari he did one term and said he would step down that’s all but he did a second term,” he added.
