The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, has reaffirmed his commitment to serve only a single term of four years if elected President of Nigeria, insisting that nothing would make him extend his stay in office.
Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the banner of the Labour Party, and came third behind former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu, made the declaration in an interview.
“I want to be a one-term president because of stability,” he said.
“I would not stay a day longer than four years, even with a gun to my head.”
The former Anambra State governor also used the interview to criticise the economic direction of the Tinubu administration, particularly issues around borrowing and the rising cost of living, arguing that Nigeria is currently facing one of its most difficult economic periods.
Obi’s renewed pledge comes amid his continued alignment with opposition political movements. After joining a broader opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in June 2025, he repeatedly restated his intention to govern for only one term if elected in 2027.
Speaking during a Twitter Space hosted by Parallel Facts on June 30, 2025, Obi said any southern candidate elected president in 2027 must be prepared to exit office on May 28, 2031, in line with what he described as an “unwritten power-sharing agreement” and Nigeria’s zoning principle.
He also emphasised that the zoning arrangement, which rotates the presidency between the north and south, remains a political balance he has consistently supported.
In a post shared on his official X account in August last year, Obi further defended his position by citing historical leaders who, according to him, demonstrated impactful leadership within short tenures.
“One of the greatest American presidents, Abraham Lincoln, served only four years, yet his legacy endures. John F. Kennedy did not complete a full term, but his ideals still inspire,” he wrote.
“In Africa, Nelson Mandela, revered globally as a symbol of justice and reconciliation, chose to serve only one term as president of South Africa despite immense public pressure to stay longer.
“His decision was a deliberate act of leadership — a statement that power must serve the people, not the self.
“Indeed, history shows that the longer many African leaders remain in power, the more likely they are to be corrupted by it.”
Obi and former Kano State governor, Rabiu Kwankwaso, had earlier exited the ADC for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) on May 3.
Subsequently, on May 9, the NDC announced that its presidential ticket would be zoned to the southern region of the country ahead of the 2027 general election — a development seen as politically favourable to Obi’s long-standing regional support base.
