Obi’s one-term vow is another lie – Presidency fires back

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga has slammed Labour Party’s Peter Obi over his fresh declaration to serve only one term if elected president in 2027, calling the vow “another desperate lie” from a man with a record of broken promises.

In a post shared on his X page, Onanuga dismissed Obi’s pledge as insincere, accusing the former Anambra State governor of political double-speak and hypocrisy.

“Peter Obi talks as though he’s never held an elected position before. He acts like Mandela or Lincoln, but his track record in Anambra tells a different story,” the presidential aide wrote.

Onanuga reminded Nigerians that Obi once ran for a second term in Anambra State after promising to do just one term — and won “only because the opposition was divided.”

“If he really believed in one term, why didn’t he walk away in 2010?” Onanuga queried. “What exactly did Anambra look like after 8 years under his watch? Did he transform the state into a model of good governance? The answer is clear.”

He further accused Obi of abandoning the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) despite publicly vowing never to leave the party.

“Obi swore he wouldn’t leave APGA. He did. Now he wants us to believe he’ll keep a one-term vow? Nigerians should be smarter than that,” Onanuga said.

The aide to President Bola Tinubu said Obi’s recent comment is nothing but political posturing aimed at manipulating Nigerians ahead of 2027.

“He talks about trust. But how do you trust a man who breaks simple political promises, even when nobody forced him to make them?” Onanuga asked.

He accused Obi of playing on the emotions of young Nigerians, many of whom formed the Obidient movement in 2023, but noted that the momentum that propelled Obi in the last election “no longer exists.”

According to him, “In 2023, Obi benefited from a three-pronged sympathy wave — religious sentiment, ethnic identity, and youthful anger. None of that will work next time, especially not from the backseat of another coalition.”

Onanuga’s remarks come days after Peter Obi restated his intention to serve just one term in office if Nigerians give him the mandate in 2027.