Obi Proposes Single Five-Year Presidential Term, Vows One-Term Leadership

Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has renewed his call for Nigeria to adopt a single five-year tenure for the presidency, arguing that the change would keep leaders focused on governance rather than re-election campaigns.

Speaking during a courtesy visit to Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed on Friday, Obi drew comparisons with South Korea’s political system, where presidents serve only one term.

He warned that Nigeria’s two-term arrangement often distracts leaders from their primary responsibilities.

“If I have the opportunity, there should be no second tenure. It should be five years straight,” he said, adding that many presidents spend their later years in office preparing for re-election instead of delivering results.

Obi, who has declared interest in the 2027 race, promised not to extend his stay beyond a single term if elected, even under the current four-year framework.

He also pledged to strengthen party structures so they operate independently of elected officeholders.

In a lighthearted response, Governor Mohammed invited Obi to rejoin the Peoples Democratic Party, describing it as his “political home.”

He also called on opposition figures to set aside ego and personal differences to work together for the good of the nation.