The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has defended Peter Obi’s promise to serve only one term if elected president in 2027, describing the commitment as a deliberate sacrifice for national stability rather than a political gamble.
The party’s National Campaign Council Director-General, Mallam Ibrahim Hussain Abdulkarim, stated this in a response to remarks made by former Imo State Governor and Senator, Rochas Okorocha, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Okorocha had described Obi as “a fantastic gentleman; clear in his head,” but expressed reservations about his decision to commit to a single four-year presidential term, reportedly characterising the arrangement as “a four-year gambling.”
However, Abdulkarim disagreed with the former governor’s position, arguing that Nigeria’s Constitution does not make an eight-year presidential tenure compulsory. He cited Section 135(2) of the 1999 Constitution, which provides for a four-year presidential term with the possibility of seeking another four years.
According to him, the use of the word may in the constitutional provision makes a second term optional, stressing that Obi’s decision to voluntarily limit his presidency to four years is entirely constitutional.
The NDC official also questioned the benefits of an extended presidential tenure, pointing to Nigeria’s economic and security challenges between 2015 and 2023, including rising inflation, naira depreciation, mounting public debt, widespread poverty and insecurity.
He argued that the country’s major challenge was not the length of time available to its leaders but their inability to translate political power into meaningful development.
Abdulkarim maintained that Obi’s single-term proposal should be viewed as a commitment to measurable performance, noting that the former Anambra governor had promised to leave office in 2031 and allow power to return to the North.
He described the pledge as an uncommon demonstration of political sacrifice, adding that Obi was offering Nigerians an opportunity to assess his leadership strictly on the basis of achievements within four years.
“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,” Abdulkarim stated.
He further described Obi’s proposal as “a rescue mission with a deadline,” insisting that the NDC presidential hopeful’s priority would be delivering results rather than remaining in power for an extended period.
The statement ended with the party reaffirming its position that Nigeria requires purposeful leadership and effective governance, rather than prolonged political tenures without corresponding development.
