Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has proposed a significant reform to Nigeria’s political system, advocating for a single five-year term for the presidency, drawing inspiration from South Korea’s model.
Speaking during a visit to Bauchi State, at the Government House, Obi argued that a single-term presidency would ensure leaders focus on governance rather than re-election campaigns.
Obi emphasized that the current practice, where presidents serve a four-year term with the option for re-election, often leads to leaders spending their first year governing and the remaining years planning for another term.
“What people do now is to be president for one year and use the rest of the year thinking about the next tenure. Let’s stop it, let’s face the real job,” he stated, highlighting how a single five-year term would compel leaders to prioritize their responsibilities within a defined timeframe.
He pointed to South Korea, where presidents serve a single five-year term without the possibility of re-election, as a model that ensures focused leadership.
The former Anambra State governor reiterated his long-standing commitment to a single-term presidency, a pledge he first made during an X Space session in June 2025 titled #PeterObiOnParallelFacts, which attracted thousands of listeners.
On August 3, Obi reaffirmed this stance in a post on X, stating, “In my political life, my word is my bond… My vow to serve only one term of four years is a solemn commitment, rooted in my conviction that purposeful, transparent leadership does not require an eternity.” He cited historical figures like Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela, who left lasting legacies without serving multiple terms, to support his argument that prolonged tenures can lead to corruption.
Obi’s proposal has sparked varied reactions. Supporters, like Peter Ameh, former National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), argue that Obi’s character and competence make his single-term proposal credible, particularly in northern Nigeria, where Ameh claims Obi enjoys significant support.
“The north is more politically understanding than any other region of this country. Peter Obi has made an emphatic statement and a public declaration that ‘I want to do only one term so that I don’t tilt the balance of our unwritten arrangement’,” Ameh said on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Obi’s advocacy aligns with his broader vision for political reform, emphasizing efficiency and accountability. He argues that a single-term system would disrupt the cycle of political maneuvering and foster a culture of purposeful governance.
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