Isaac Samuel
The Presidency has dismissed former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his pledge to serve only one term if elected president, describing the promise as inconsistent with his political history and therefore not credible.
Obi had, in a viral interview clip ahead of his appearance on News Central TV, said he would not remain in office beyond four years “even with a gun to my head.”
But reacting on Thursday via a post on X, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, rejected the statement, arguing that the former governor’s past political conduct undermines such assurances.
Onanuga said Obi’s political trajectory shows shifting party affiliations over the years, referencing his time in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), his later defection to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and subsequent political alignments.
According to him, these movements reflect a pattern that raises questions about the reliability of Obi’s political promises.
“If you believe Peter Obi’s promise to serve only one term as president, you’ll believe anything,” Onanuga said.
““Peter Obi’s pledges have always been short-lived. He ultimately abandoned APGA for the PDP, and since then, he has drifted from one political platform to another—a political rolling stone,” he stated.
He added that Nigerians should treat the one-term vow with caution.
Obi, who contested the 2023 presidential election under the Labour Party, came third behind President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.
He has remained active in political discussions ahead of the 2027 general election amid ongoing opposition realignments.
