One-term tenure: You have broken previous promises — Presidency blasts Peter Obi

The Presidency has criticised the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his renewed pledge to serve only a single four-year term if elected, accusing him of dishonesty and inconsistency in leadership.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in a post on X late Sunday, described Obi’s vow as hypocritical, questioning his moral authority to make such a commitment.

He argued that Obi, who previously served two terms as governor of Anambra State, had once sought re-election despite claiming to be driven by principle.

Onanuga further accused the former governor of failing to honour past political promises, including his decision to leave the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) despite earlier assurances to the contrary.

ALSO READ: ‘I will serve only one term of four years if elected president’, Peter Obi insists

According to him, such past actions suggest that Obi cannot be trusted to keep his current vow and would likely find an excuse to abandon it.

The statement reads, “Peter Obi, the liar, is exposed again. 

“You’re neither a Mandela nor a Lincoln or a Kennedy. You sound as if you have never held an elected office before. You sought re-election as Anambra Governor in 2010, and narrowly won courtesy of a divided opposition. Why didn’t you walk away after only one term in office? Meanwhile after serving two terms, did Anambra look like a state that has been transformed? If you couldn’t transform a small Anambra after 8 years, is there a guarantee that you’ll do anything significant under 4 years as President of a complex and complicated Nigeria?  

“You talk about keeping your promises or your vow being your bond, but you and I know that’s not true. You have broken previous promises and usually lie with reckless abandon, sometimes needlessly. For example, you said you won’t leave APGA but you left (the reason for your exit is immaterial because if we’re to make allowance for excuses, you’ll definitely have an excuse to break your one-term vow). You talk about trust, but how do you expect people to trust someone who can’t keep a simple promise not to leave a political party?”

The reaction followed Obi’s public declaration on Sunday that his promise to serve only one term as president was irreversible. 

He likened the decision to those of iconic global leaders who served brief but impactful tenures, including Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela, whom he described as examples of purposeful and selfless leadership.

ALSO READ TOP STORIES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE