Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, says Rotimi Amaechi and Peter Obi should stop making one-term promises because no one believes them.
The ex-minister spoke during an appearance on ‘Sunday
Politics’, a Channels Television programme.
Obi, former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP),
has maintained that he will serve only one term if elected president in 2027,
insisting four years is enough to reset the country.
Obi had also said history has shown that purposeful
leadership is not defined by how long one stays in office but by the impact
made.
On his part, Amaechi, former minister of transportation,
said he is willing to be a one-term president in 2027 if he secures the
presidential ticket of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The former governor of Rivers also said he is prepared to
step down after four years in office to allow for rotation and stability.
Asked for his take on the promises, el-Rufai said Obi and
Amaechi should know from experience that four years is insufficient to deliver
meaningful reforms.
“Now, on the question of people coming out and saying, ‘I
will do one term’, I don’t think anyone believes that,” el-Rufai said.
“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 said politicians who pledge to serve only one term
eventually change their minds once in office.
“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.
Speaking further, el-Rufai said his support for power shift
to the south in 2023 was based on an understanding among leaders of the All
Progressive Congress (APC) during the party’s formation.
He said he mobilised northern governors to support the
decision without considering what the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was
planning.
According to him, zoning is a political strategy each party
deploys to enhance its chances of winning elections.
“The ADC is still forming,” el-Rufai added.
“When the party is fully formed, the leadership and founders
will sit and decide on zoning. I am not privy to that discussion yet.”
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