Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana (SAN), has reacted to Peter Obi’s one-term pledge ahead of the 2027 general election.
Speaking on Sunday, Obi, who was the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, reiterated his vow to serve for four years if elected president in 2027.
Obi justified his commitment by citing the leadership examples of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela.
He added that he did not need eight years to turn the country around.
Falana criticised Obi’s promise in an interview with Channels Television on Monday, claiming it was insufficient.
“Another problem confronting Nigeria as a nation is that it is not just enough to say, ‘I will be in power for four years. I will be in power for eight years; what do you want to do there?” he said.
Falana also urged the Federal Government to focus on governance and involve the people in their policies.
Falana said, “As for those who are in power, you have a greater responsibility to concentrate on governance and consult with the people with respect to your policies so that nobody wakes up one day and says, ‘I am going to rename the streets.”
Earlier, the administration criticised the former governor of Anambra state’s declaration, claiming that the former governor of Anambra State misused historical facts in order to defend his one-term promise.
In a statement titled “Peter Obi and His Wrong Examples”, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, claimed that Obi neglected to consider history and context while drawing inspiration from the three late leaders.
