The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has defended its presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s, pledge to serve only one four-year term if elected in the January 16, 2027 presidential election, describing the commitment as a demonstration of accountability and dedication to national development.
The party dismissed former Imo State Governor, Rochas Okorocha’s, description of the proposal as a “four-year gambling”, insisting that the pledge was constitutionally valid and aimed at shifting attention from the length of time leaders spend in office to their performance.
In a statement issued on Friday and signed by the Director-General of the NDC National Presidential Campaign Council, Mallam Ibrahim Hussain Abdulkarim, the party said Obi had voluntarily chosen to limit his presidency to one term despite being constitutionally eligible to seek re-election.
The NDC argued that Section 135(2) of the 1999 Constitution provides for a four-year presidential tenure and allows an incumbent to seek another term but does not make re-election compulsory.
The party was reacting to comments by Okorocha during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where the former governor described Obi as “a fantastic gentleman; clear in his head” but questioned the feasibility of his single-term proposal.
According to the NDC, Nigeria’s experience between 2015 and 2023 showed that spending eight years in office did not automatically translate into better governance or national development.
It listed rising inflation, the depreciation of the naira, increasing public debt, widespread poverty and insecurity as some of the challenges that characterised the period.
Abdulkarim said, “Peter Obi’s offer is a performance bond, not a gamble. He has pledged to serve one term, to be judged strictly by results, and to hand over power in 2031 in recognition that it is the turn of the North. This is sacrifice for national stability.”
He maintained that Nigeria’s major governance challenge was not the duration of presidential tenure but the inability of successive administrations to utilise their time in office effectively.
“Leadership is measured by impact, not duration. Nigeria’s problem has never been insufficient time. It has been the repeated failure to use time well. Mr Obi proposes to reverse that culture: one term dedicated entirely to delivery,” he said.
The NDC director-general challenged Nigerians to assess Obi’s proposal as a commitment to accountability, arguing that a politician willing to forgo a second term was demonstrating a willingness to prioritise national interest over personal political ambitions.
“When a man entitled to eight years voluntarily chooses four and invites the nation to judge him by results, he is not gambling. He is sacrificing,” the statement added.
The party described the proposed single-term presidency as a time-bound plan for national recovery, insisting that Obi’s commitment should be judged by the results he promises to deliver within four years.
“This is not a gamble. It is a rescue mission with a deadline,” the statement said.
