One-Term Presidency: El-Rufai Dismisses Obi, Amaechi’s Pledge as Unrealistic

One-Term Presidency: El-Rufai Dismisses Obi, Amaechi’s Pledge as Unrealistic

Former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has cautioned Nigerian politicians against making promises to serve only one term in office, describing such commitments as impractical and lacking credibility.

Speaking on Sunday Politics, a Channels Television programme, El-Rufai dismissed recent declarations by Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and former Minister of Transport, Rotimi Amaechi, both of whom pledged to run for just a single term if elected president in 2027.

Obi has argued that leadership should be measured by impact rather than duration, while Amaechi, now vying for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential ticket, insists a one-term presidency would promote stability and power rotation.

El-Rufai, however, disagreed, insisting that no one takes such assurances seriously.

“When people say, ‘I will only do one term’, nobody believes that,” he said. “As a former governor who spent eight years, I know four years is too short to make meaningful change. Even Obi and Amaechi, who have governed before, know this.”

He added that politicians often backtrack on such pledges once they face the realities of governance, urging aspirants to stop making promises they cannot keep.

Reflecting on the 2023 elections, El-Rufai also revealed that his support for power shift to the South was part of a gentleman’s agreement among northern APC leaders during the party’s formation. He noted that zoning has long been a political strategy used by parties to boost their electoral chances.

On the ADC’s position, El-Rufai said discussions on zoning within the party were still ongoing and that he had not been part of any decison making process yet.