A Diary of Single Terms and the Peter Obi Elixir
By Dr Nkem Alu
_Nigeria, 19th May, 2026._
The Nigerian political map is, once again, engrossed in alignments, carpet crossings, and even betrayals. When a football striker becomes too full of creative skills for manoeuvring defenders, they easily gang up against him, if anything, to stop him. _”My vow to serve only one term of four years is a solemn commitment, rooted in my conviction that purposeful, transparent leadership does not require an eternity.”_ The declaration barely departed the mouth of Mr Peter Obi and the accusers of men fell to!
Why breed ridiculous cynicism around a sincerely made single term declaration? Someone has got to come off the shell of narrow mindedness, to reason more circumferencially. During the second republic (1979 to 1983), Alhaji Lateef Jakande of Lagos, Chief Jim Nwobodo of old Anambra, Alhaji Abubakar Rimi of Kano, Alhaji Abubakar Tatari Ali of Bauchi, to mention a few, all did single tenures as governors.
You can argue that military takeover restricted the second republic governors to a single tenure of four years each, but you cannot deny that they all did exceptionally well in their states. Within this fourth Republic, Akinwumi Ambode of Lagos, Alhaji Bindow Jibrilla of Adamawa, and Alhaji Mohammadu Abubakar of Bauchi; all did single tenures. And quite interestingly, they hit key intra-developmental strides in within four years, each. There was no military takeover hindering their second term bids, anyway.
The fact remains that the sacrosanctity of two terms does not exist in any constitution. If it can take less than four years to collapse a country, it is also POssible to “OK” and restore it in four years. Perhaps, remembering President Nelson Mandela, who did a single term in South Africa, just like President Shehu Musa Yar’adua of Nigeria (though short-lived), would help restore the thinking sprockets of those attacking Peter Obi for flying his one term flag an umpteenth time.
To those who said that making the one term declaration means he should have his head examined, Peter Obi replied, (Premium Times, August 03, 2025) _”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.”_ Believe me, there couldn’t have been a better reply to an untoward, cynically insipid and primitive attack!
Fellow Nigerians, it is POssible to OK things again. It is a one term deal!
Alu writes for PO Express Media, POEM.
_No propaganda! No slander! Just facts! Stay with truth._
