Presidency knocks Obi over ‘gun to my head’ one-term vow

The Presidency has criticised former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his promise to serve only one term if elected president, questioning the credibility of the pledge based on his political history.

 

Obi, in a viral clip from an interview scheduled to air on News Central TV on Thursday, said he would not remain in office beyond four years “even with a gun to my head.”

 

Reacting in a post on X, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, dismissed the promise, arguing that Obi’s past political decisions reflected inconsistency and broken loyalty.

 

“If you believe Peter Obi’s promise to serve only one term as president, you’ll believe anything,” Onanuga wrote.

 

The presidential aide alleged that Obi had previously pledged loyalty to the All Progressives Grand Alliance while serving as governor of Anambra State before eventually defecting to the Peoples Democratic Party.

 

“Peter Obi’s pledges have always been short-lived. He ultimately abandoned APGA for the PDP, and since then, he has drifted from one political platform to another — a political rolling stone,” he stated.

 

According to Onanuga, Obi’s political movements over the years raise doubts about the reliability of his promises.

 

“By his own actions, Peter Obi has shown that his word cannot be trusted. His promises are as fleeting as his political allegiances,” he added.

 

Obi was the Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, where he finished third behind President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.

 

He has since joined the Nigeria Democratic Congress after exiting the African Democratic Congress coalition ahead of the 2027 presidential election scheduled for January 16, 2027.