Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has responded firmly to comments suggesting he needs psychiatric evaluation over his pledge to serve only one four-year term if elected president in 2027.
The remarks come in the wake of a fiery political debate, following Anambra State Governor Charles Soludo’s outburst at a rally on Saturday, where he declared that any politician promising to serve a single term should be “sent to a psychiatric hospital.” The comment was widely interpreted as a veiled jab at Obi.
Earlier in the week, activist lawyer Deji Adeyanju also took a swipe at Obi, saying not even swearing in a shrine would convince Nigerians to believe his one-term vow.
In a response issued Sunday through Ibrahim Umar of the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), Obi rejected the insinuations and defended his integrity, insisting he has never been mentally evaluated nor resorted to rituals to prove his honesty.
“Recently, I became aware of two statements aimed, albeit indirectly, at my vow to serve only a single four-year term,” the statement read.
“One person remarked that even if I swore by a shrine, I still wouldn’t be believed. Another suggested that anyone talking about doing only one term should undergo a psychiatric evaluation.”
Obi emphasized that his word is his bond and pointed to his political track record as proof of his consistency.
“In my political life, my word is my bond. I fulfilled each of those promises without deviation. I did not swear by a shrine, nor have I been certified mentally unstable as a result of honouring my word.”
He continued: “If making such a promise qualifies me for psychiatric evaluation, then we may as well question the mental fitness of those who framed our Constitution, which clearly stipulates a four-year renewable tenure.”
The former Anambra State governor reaffirmed his commitment to transforming Nigeria’s economy, promising to prioritize production, agriculture, technology, and manufacturing if given the mandate.
