The National Campaign Council of the Nigeria Democratic Congress has come to the defense of Peter Obi’s commitment to complete only a single term if elected president in 2027, portraying the move as a selfless sacrifice for the nation’s stability instead of a risky political wager.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Mallam Ibrahim Hussain Abdulkarim, on its official X handle on Friday, the council disagreed with former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha, arguing that the one-term arrangement is constitutional and should be judged by its promise of performance.
TVC News Online reports that in an interview on Thursday, Okorocha had described Obi’s single-term pledge as a gamble that the south-east cannot afford when it needs strategic alliances to achieve its presidential ambition.
Responding to Okorocha’s comments, the DG of the NDC Campaign Council said. “We have reviewed Senator Rochas Okorocha’s comments on Channels Television’s Politics Today. We accept his description of Peter Obi as “a fantastic gentleman; clear in his head.” On the claim that a single term is “a four-year gambling,” we respectfully disagree. Section 135(2) of the 1999 Constitution provides that a President shall leave office after four years and may seek a further four years. In law, “may” is permissive, not mandatory. A single term is therefore constitutional. It is not a gamble.”
He asserted that Nigeria already tested an eight-year tenure between 2015 and 2023, saying, “The result was rising inflation, a weakened naira, soaring public debt, widespread poverty, and insecurity across the country. That is the real balance sheet of prolonged tenure without performance.
“Peter Obi’s offer is a performance bond, not a gamble. He has pledged to serve one term, to be judged strictly by results, and to hand over power in 2031 in recognition that it is the turn of the North. This is sacrifice for national stability. Leadership is measured by impact, not duration. Nigeria’s problem has never been insufficient time. It has been the repeated failure to use time well. Mr Obi proposes to reverse that culture: one term dedicated entirely to delivery. When a man entitled to eight years voluntarily chooses four and invites the nation to judge him by results, he is not gambling.
“He is sacrificing. This is not a gamble. It is a rescue mission with a deadline.”
What You Should Know
The debate stems from former Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha’s comments claiming that a single-term promise is a risky gamble for the south-east region. In response, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) argues that a four-year tenure is fully backed by the Nigerian constitution and serves as a performance-driven rescue mission for the country.
- Positive Impact: It offers voters a chance to hold leaders strictly accountable to a performance-based deadline rather than enduring prolonged governance without tangible results.
- Potential Concerns: Critics like Okorocha believe a single term might weaken strategic political alliances needed by the region to secure the presidency.
