Peter Obi’s proposal to serve a single presidential term if elected in 2027 continues to spark debate, with ARISE News Director of News and Politics Editor, Sumner Sambo, describing it as a smart and timely political move.
In an interview with Arise News From 7:19, Sambo reiterated that Obi’s idea to complete the South’s remaining four years in the spirit of regional fairness is commendable. However, he warned that the proposal, no matter how noble, will eventually run into a formidable obstacle: the power and influence of the incumbent, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Sambo explained that while the one-term pitch could rally significant national sympathy and support, particularly for the South-East which is yet to produce a president in the Fourth Republic, Obi’s real challenge lies in confronting the realities of electoral politics in Nigeria.
As the incumbent, President Tinubu will head into the 2027 elections with full access to state power, including the financial, institutional, and coercive tools that often shape outcomes in the country’s high-stakes elections. This, Sambo pointed out, is the “elephant in the room” that cannot be ignored.
He added that even if Peter Obi successfully forges a coalition with parties like the ADC and sells his one-term agenda to voters nationwide, the biggest hurdle remains defeating an incumbent president.
Tinubu’s incumbency advantage gives him an edge in navigating Nigeria’s deeply entrenched political machinery, and without a strong party structure or unified base, Obi may struggle to convert moral arguments into electoral victory.
“It’s a very good proposal, conclude the four years of the South, but of course, then you have the biggest elephant in the house, President Bola Tinubu. Can he, if given that opportunity by ADC for example, defeat a Bola Tinubu who is an incumbent, who has all the appurtenances of power, the coercive apparatus of state, to wriggle his way into 2027?” Sambo asked.
