Peter Obi, the former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, says he will not remain in office beyond a single four-year term if elected president in 2027.
Obi spoke during an exclusive interview with News Central TV.
The former Anambra governor said his position was necessary to preserve political stability and respect the country’s informal power rotation arrangement between the north and south.
“For stability, I will not stay a day longer than four years,” he said.
Obi had earlier pledged to serve only one term if elected president to allow power to return to the north after the south completes eight years in office.
The former governor recently left the African Democratic Congress (ADC) following internal disputes and joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), which has zoned its presidential ticket to southern Nigeria.
During the interview, Obi criticised the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu over rising debt, insecurity and worsening living conditions.
“It’s only two years that Tinubu used to borrow more than all the previous governments put together,” he said.
“It’s only two years that Nigeria has entered into the hungriest country in the world.”
Obi also faulted the federal government’s handling of insecurity, accusing leaders of failing to show urgency during violent attacks across the country.
“A president of Nigeria can stay in Abuja and 200 people die in Jos, Niger or Benue and you’re still sitting there,” he said.
Asked what he would do differently, Obi said he would personally visit conflict zones and take direct charge of security interventions.
“I will go there to the theatre of war,” he said.
“You will know how to contribute.”
The former presidential candidate further criticised the government’s approach to agriculture and food security.
According to him, authorities failed to adequately support local farmers during periods of insecurity and instead resorted to food importation.
“Look at what happened to our farmers,” Obi said.
“Instead of intervening when there was crisis, we went to import food and killed all the farmers.”
He also pointed to the irony of war-torn Ukraine donating grains to Nigeria despite the country’s vast agricultural potential.
“I said Ukraine that is at war is donating grains to Nigeria,” he added.
