…Stop deceiving Nigerians — Wike
…Four years surely sufficient for Obi — CUPP claps back
Political tensions are rising as former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi’s vow to serve only one term if elected president continues to draw sharp reactions from prominent figures.
Former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai dismissed such pledges as unrealistic and politically unwise, warning that no serious leader should voluntarily limit their constitutional mandate.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, El-Rufai said: “Now, on the question of people coming out and saying, ‘I will do one term,’ I don’t think anyone believes that. I don’t think it is right. You should not constitutionally give up what is yours. And frankly, as someone who has been governor for eight years, and Amaechi and Peter Obi have both been governors, they know the time it takes to make meaningful change in government. Four years is not enough.”
He urged politicians to avoid making commitments they cannot keep. “So, I want to appeal to everyone to stop making these commitments of ‘I will do four years’ or ‘I will do eight years,’ because nobody believes you,” he added.
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory Nyesom Wike echoed El-Rufai’s stance, cautioning Obi against promising a one-term presidency.
During his monthly media chat in Abuja, Wike said: “Even if you give him the six million votes back, all those who voted for him will continue to vote for him. What happened in 2023 will not be the same. This era of social media, which party will you run? Is it Labour?
“Where will he get the six million votes — under the PDP? Under Labour Party? If you are running, people should know the party you are running. They should know the platform. Is it December that he will mention it? Atiku has said he will run in the ADC, Amaechi said ADC, but he has not said where he will run.”
Wike stressed that circumstances often shift once a president assumes office. “It’s very clear El-Rufai said stop saying that you will run for four years, it’s not correct. I don’t want people to be deceived, circumstances will change. How do you sit down and a president tells you, ‘I will run for four years,’ then you believe him? How can you say that? That is not correct. Don’t tell Nigerians such story; when you get there you will now find out if you will run for a second or third term. Some people tried to run for a third term,” he said.
The presidency’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga, also criticised Obi’s comments, taking issue with his references to Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela as models for a one-term presidency.
“Lincoln, at the time he was assassinated, had finished his first term, had won re-election, and had been sworn in for a second term. John F. Kennedy came into office on January 20, 1960, and was assassinated on November 22, 1963, before the end of his first term. Mandela’s example might be more appropriately recommended to Obi’s rival for the opposition ticket, who will turn 81 by 2027,” Onanuga said.
Meanwhile, Peter Umeh, National Secretary of the Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), defended Obi’s stance, portraying it as a bold commitment to governance reform.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Umeh said: “What I want to tell people is that Peter Obi will get it right. He will get it right for the good of our people. It’s not about trying to be in office; it’s about trying to get into office with a plan and making sure these plans are executed.”
He dismissed claims that a single term was insufficient, saying: “Anybody who tells you four years is not enough are people who feel entitled to eight years, because the Constitution clearly states you will be elected for a period of four years, and you will vacate the seat if you do not put yourself forward for another election.”
Umeh argued that such transparency could build public confidence in leadership.
Former presidential aide Reno Omokri also weighed in, urging Northern politicians to reject Obi’s candidacy, arguing it could lead to political marginalisation.
Omokri pointed to history, citing Cameroon’s experience after the resignation of President Ahmadou Ahidjo in 1982. Posting on X, he wrote: “If Arewa makes the mistake of backing the coalition and giving their Presidential ticket to Peter Obi, exactly what happened to Northern Cameroon after Ahmadou Ahidjo resigned on November 4, 1982, is what will happen to Northern Nigeria. Go back and study history.”
He added: “The Hausa and Fulani are the most marginalised ethnicities in Cameroon, and Paul Biya kept none of the promises he made to Ahidjo.”
Omokri criticised Obi’s record, questioning his stance on insecurity and appointments: “Who killed Ahmed Gulak in Owerri in May of 2021? Today, millions of innocent Nigerian citizens will be forced to observe the infamous Monday sit-at-home in the Southeast. Has this same Peter Obi ever condemned IPOB or their sit-at-home?
“Mutanen Arewa may recall that in the most Islamic state of Nigeria, the seat of the Caliphate, Peter Obi named Ifeanyi Ezeagu as the state coordinator of his campaign for Sokoto. He also named John Ezeigbe the coordinator for Lagos state. And this is the man telling you to give him power, and he will do only one term?”
