Eric Patrick
Former Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), Yabagi Sani, has expressed skepticism over former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate Peter Obi’s pledge to serve only one term if elected president in 2027.
Speaking during The Morning Brief programme aired on Channels Television on Tuesday, Sani said it would be difficult for northerners to trust such a promise, adding that no 2027 presidential hopeful, including Obi, could be considered a “saint.”
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, had stated during a live X Space session with his supporters on Sunday that he would comply with the agreement to serve a single four-year term if elected president.
But Sani questioned the practicality of that commitment saying, “The dynamics of power change once politicians assume office.
“It’s easy to make promises now, but things are different when you’re in power.”
He also argued that based on the principle of rotational presidency, it would be fair for the North to produce the next president after the South completes its turn.
“After eight years of southern rule, naturally, the North should take its turn,” Sani stated, referring to President Bola Tinubu, who hails from the South-West.
READ ALSO: Peter Obi Declares 2027 Presidential Ambition, Says I’m Ready to Serve Just One Term
Sani’s remarks come as political alignments and discussions intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sani said, “Yes, Mr Peter Obi can agree to say: ‘I am going to do one term’ but the northerners will tell you that after Bola Tinubu’s term, if he gets the (second) election, it should come to the north.
“But we are human beings. Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Peter Obi is not a saint; he is not somebody who is from another planet.
“We have seen successive governments trying to see how they can turn the constitution around and give themselves a third term and things like that.
“This is why it would be difficult for a lot of people to believe Mr Peter Obi that after one term, he would leave. And then how would he even succeed if you look at the sentimental aspect of it, the state capture, and power of incumbency.”