Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has called for a constitutional amendment to introduce a single five-year tenure for Nigeria’s president.
Speaking in Bauchi during a courtesy visit to Governor Bala Mohammed on Friday, Obi argued that a longer single term would encourage leaders to focus on governance rather than re-election campaigns.
“I’ve said it before and I want to say it again in this Government House. If I have the opportunity, we should stop having a second tenure for president,” Obi declared. “It should be five years straight, so that people can come in knowing they have a job to do. What people do now is to be president for one year and use the rest of the years thinking about their next tenure. We must stop it, let’s face the real job, do your own and go.”
Obi, who has declared interest in the 2027 presidential race, pledged that if elected, he would only serve a single term. “I will not spend a day longer than four years in office,” he said, while promising reforms that would strengthen political parties and ensure they operate independently of the influence of elected officials.
“I want the party to be bigger than the president and the governors so that we can have orderliness,” he added.
Governor Bala Mohammed, in his response, urged Obi to return to the Peoples Democratic Party. “We want you to come back to the PDP because that is where you belong. There are plans, desires and strategies,” Mohammed said.
He also stressed the need for opposition parties to work together, warning that politics should not be driven by ego, personal differences or self-interest.
