Legal practitioner and political commentator Kenneth Okonkwo has weighed in on Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi’s one-term pledge, describing it as not only constitutionally sound but politically necessary. Speaking on Arise News on Tuesday, August 5, 2025, Okonkwo dismissed the criticisms surrounding Obi’s declaration, stating that any Southern candidate aiming for an eight-year presidency in 2027 would face outright rejection from both the North and South.
Okonkwo explained that Nigeria’s unwritten but widely respected rotational power agreement plays a crucial role in maintaining political balance between the North and the South. Since President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, a Southerner, is currently in power and expected to complete four years by 2027, any attempt by another Southerner to extend that hold for an additional eight years would disrupt the perceived zoning fairness and ignite regional tensions.
He argued that Obi’s one-term proposal, rather than being political theatrics as dismissed by the ruling APC, is a deliberate strategy rooted in equity and realism. According to him, no serious Southern aspirant can expect to gain nationwide support on an eight-year agenda in the current political climate.
Okonkwo added that the distrust within Nigeria’s political elite makes it difficult for such pledges to be taken at face value. However, he noted that the skepticism is largely due to a lack of credibility among politicians themselves, not because the idea is flawed.
Beyond regional politics, Okonkwo also framed the one-term idea as a stabilizing mechanism that could serve as a bridge between regions and reduce post-election agitation. He noted that if Northern and Southern candidates both adopt a one-term position, it would place them on equal footing and ease future transitions of power.
The seasoned lawyer concluded that Peter Obi’s pledge should be seen not as a sign of weakness or lack of ambition, but as a practical, calculated move aimed at winning national trust and resetting Nigeria’s political culture.
In his words, “With a Southern already a president, to do another eight years will be dead on arrival. Nobody, not even from the South, will vote for a Southern candidate who wants to stay in power for another eight years after Tinubu.
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