Veteran journalist and political analyst, Reuben Abati, has criticised Peter Obi’s pledge to serve only one term as president if elected in 2025, describing it as “a sign of desperation” that won’t resonate, especially in Nigeria’s North.
Abati, speaking on Arise TV on Sunday, was reacting to a statement by Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, who reiterated via his official X page that he would serve just four years if elected president. Obi argued that a purposeful, short-lived presidency is more effective than prolonged rule.
“It is within this context that I reiterate my vow: I will serve only one term of four years if elected President. And that vow is sacrosanct,” Obi stated, referencing the leadership legacies of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela to support his position.
But Abati questioned both the sincerity and effectiveness of the pledge.
“I’m saying that any politician that comes to you and says, ‘I’m going to do only one term,’ that’s a sign of desperation,” he said.
“It will not work. Just like all these gambits about serving food, carrying plates, and doing boy-oh-boy at parties that event organisers could better organise, it’s also a sign of desperation. It doesn’t work. It will never work.”
He also weighed in on Nigeria’s complex socio-political dynamics, warning that regional and ethnic sentiments still dominate the political landscape.
“The civil war in this country has never ended. I don’t believe that northerners who are already aggrieved with a Yoruba president will just shift and embrace the possibility of an Igbo president,” Abati said.
“There are contradictions in this country that have not been sorted out. We should emphasise competence and ability.
“If the Nigerian people are politically educated to a point where they can vote for a competent person, regardless of where he comes from, regardless of his religion, that’s when this country will begin to move forward.”
Abati’s comments follow those of Bayo Onanuga, President Bola Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, who also knocked Obi’s one-term pledge.
Onanuga accused the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate of dishonesty, questioning his track record in Anambra State and suggesting that if Obi couldn’t transform a small state in eight years, he’s unlikely to fix a complex country like Nigeria in four.
