Presidential hopeful and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, has doubled down on his promise to serve only one term if elected in 2027, declaring the vow “sacrosanct” in a statement made available to The News Chronicle on Sunday.
Citing icons like Mandela, Lincoln, and JFK, Obi said leadership should be judged by impact not years in office. “Mandela served one term and walked away. That was leadership,” he stated. “Power must serve the people, not self.”
Obi acknowledged public distrust in political pledges, saying decades of broken promises have left Nigerians jaded. But he insisted he’s different: “They judge me by their own standards, but Peter Obi is not cut from that cloth.”
He brushed off mockery from critics who said not even a shrine-bound oath would make his promise believable, or that a one-term vow signals mental instability. “I did not swear by a shrine, nor have I been certified mentally unstable as a result of honouring my word,” he quipped.
Obi pointed to his track record in Anambra, where he claims to have delivered on education, healthcare, infrastructure, and fiscal discipline as proof of his credibility.
“I maintain without equivocation: if elected, I will not spend a day longer than four years in office,” he affirmed. “Forty-eight months is enough for any leader who is focused and prepared.”
He maintained that his top priority would be restoring trust in public institutions, fighting insecurity, revamping education and healthcare, boosting small businesses, and tackling corruption.
Obi concluded with a bold vision: to shift Nigeria from a consumption-driven economy to a productive one anchored on agriculture, technology, and manufacturing.
“Service should be impactful, not eternal,” he said. “The challenges we face demand urgency, not tenure elongation.”
