- Obi has promised to serve only four years if elected in 2027 and suggested a South Korea-style five-year term.
- Farotimi argued that leadership changes without systemic reform will not address Nigeria’s deep-rooted governance challenges.
Human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has thrown his weight behind Peter Obi’s call for a single-term presidency, arguing that Nigeria’s past leaders wasted extended periods in office.
Farotimi, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Monday, questioned the results achieved by ex-presidents who served for two terms.
“Obasanjo had eight years; what did he do with it? (Muhammadu) Buhari had eight years; what did he do with it? He ruined Nigeria. (President Bola) Tinubu has had two years, and he is taking us back 50 years,” he said.
He stressed that the effectiveness of leadership depends on what is accomplished within the time given, not on the length of tenure.
The lawyer recalled first hearing the single-term idea from Obi during the 2023 campaign and said citizens should focus on the candidate’s plans, not the duration of service.
“I first heard this one-term presidency idea from Peter Obi during the 2023 election cycle. We need to be interrogating issues beyond interrogating beyond declaration. A man says he’s going to spend one term. One term to do what? If I have a vision that can be contained within my lifetime, then it’s not a vision but an ambition. If it’s a vision, I will need my children’s children to complete the task,” Farotimi said.
He added that he would need no more than two years to complete his presidential goals if he ever contested.
“You don’t need a long term to achieve lasting change, but the question should be: what does he intend to do with the one term?” he added.
Obi, the former Anambra governor, has repeatedly promised to serve only a four-year term if elected in 2027.
Recently, he suggested adopting a single five-year term, similar to South Korea’s model where re-election is prohibited.
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