Former Labour Party Presidential Campaign Council spokesperson, Kenneth Okonkwo, has described Peter Obi’s declaration that he will serve a single term if elected president in 2027 as a deliberate political calculation designed to win northern support.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Okonkwo emphasized that Obi understood the political dynamics and the risks of ignoring northern sensitivities.
“So I brought the theory as a way for any opposition party to inspire Nigerians to know that each side will not lose when they make any choice, whether north or south. So, it was even Atiku Abubakar that first of all said he was going to do one term, then Peter Obi now keyed into it because he knows that if he, as a younger person, does not make that promise, he loses the entire North,” he explained.
Okonkwo noted that the move reassures Nigerians about power rotation and prevents either the northern or southern bloc from feeling sidelined.
He continued, “So it’s purely a political strategy to say, ‘Look, I am not going to cut the eight years. I’m not going to shortchange you. So if I am elected, I will just do only four years to complete the eight years of the South.’”
The legal practitioner, who once campaigned vigorously for Obi in 2023, stressed that any opposition coalition serious about challenging an incumbent must unite under the agreement of a one-term presidency.
“I was the one who propounded it (one-term presidency) as a theory, saying that any party that is serious about fighting an incumbent must have to say that whoever is going to contest should have to do one term so that no side will feel cheated,” Okonkwo stated.
Meanwhile, Obi has confirmed his readiness to contest the 2027 presidential election. Speaking during a live discussion on X Spaces, the former Anambra State governor revealed he would serve just four years if elected, promising to stabilize Nigeria’s economy and security within two years.
He also dismissed suggestions of running on a joint ticket with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar but admitted openness to coalition talks focused on economic revival, poverty reduction, and security reforms.
okay.ng reports that Okonkwo recently resigned from the Labour Party, accusing Obi of weak leadership and poor handling of internal disputes.
