ABUJA, Nigeria – The Presidency has dismissed the recent single-term pledge made by former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, describing it as a deceptive tactic from a politician with a history of broken promises.
Okay News reports that the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, took to social media on Thursday to challenge Obi’s credibility. The reaction follows Obi’s interview on News Central TV, where he vowed not to stay “a day longer than four years” if elected in 2027.
“If you believe Peter Obi’s promise to serve only one term as president, you’ll believe anything,” Onanuga wrote in a post on X (formerly Twitter). He argued that the former Anambra State Governor’s political career is defined by shifting allegiances rather than principled commitments.
Allegations of Broken Oaths
The presidential aide revisited Obi’s tenure in the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), pointing out that Obi had once sworn never to leave the party. Onanuga claimed that Obi betrayed the trust of the late APGA leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, despite pledging lifelong fidelity.
“Consider his record: while in APGA, he famously placed himself under a self-curse, vowing never to leave the party that made him governor,” Onanuga stated. “He gave his word to the Ikemba, even on his deathbed, swearing loyalty and fidelity to APGA. Yet, Peter Obi’s pledges have always been short-lived. He ultimately abandoned APGA for the PDP, and since then, he has drifted from one political platform to another — a political rolling stone.”
A “Fleeting” Record
Onanuga further asserted that Obi’s frequent defections—moving from APGA to the PDP, then to the Labour Party, and most recently joining the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC)—have nullified the weight of his public declarations.
“By his own actions, Peter Obi has shown that his word cannot be trusted. His promises are as fleeting as his political allegiances,” the presidential spokesperson added.
The exchange highlights the intensifying political friction as the 2027 election cycle begins to take shape, with the ruling APC focusing on Obi’s perceived inconsistency as a key line of attack against the burgeoning opposition coalition.
