‘Believe me, I’m not like other politicians’: Peter Obi reaffirms vow to serve only one term if elected president

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has declared that he is not like other politicians who make promises they do not intend to keep, insisting that his vow to serve only one term if elected president remains “sacrosanct.”

Obi, in a statement issued on Sunday, August 3, 2025, said Nigerians are right to be sceptical because broken promises have become the norm in politics. However, he maintained that he stands apart from that trend. 

“They are judging me by their own standards—where political promises are made to be broken. But they forget, or perhaps choose to ignore, that Peter Obi is not cut from that cloth,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor reaffirmed his commitment to serve for only four years, saying this would be enough time to deliver impactful leadership. 

Citing the legacies of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela, Obi argued that purposeful leadership does not require extended time in office.

He said his political record is built on fulfilling promises, recalling how he improved education, healthcare, and infrastructure in Anambra without deviating from his plans or mismanaging public funds.

Obi described his one-term vow as a principled stance against the tendency of some African leaders to cling to power, which he said often leads to corruption. 

He noted that while some critics have dismissed his pledge as unrealistic, his previous conduct in office shows he can be trusted to follow through.

He added that within four years, he intends to tackle insecurity, prioritise education and healthcare, support small businesses, fight corruption, and shift Nigeria from a consumption-based to a production-driven economy.

“These are not utopian dreams. They are realistic, actionable goals that are achievable within four years. A new Nigeria is POssible.”

This comes just hours after Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, said that anyone offering to serve only one term in office as an elected public officer needs a psychiatric evaluation.

Soludo, who spoke during the Anambra South endorsement rally in support of his second-term bid, challenged anyone supporting such a notion to show where it had ever occurred.