Activist Aisha Yesufu has reaffirmed that Peter Obi remains committed to serving only one term if elected president in 2027, revealing she would strongly oppose him if he reneges on that promise.

Speaking during an interview on ARISE TV, Yesufu said the former Labour Party presidential candidate had repeatedly assured her of his one-term stance, both before and after the 2023 general election.

“If Mr Peter Obi gets into office and decides to do more than one term, I, Aisha Yesufu, and I repeat it here, I will oppose him with everything in me, because he gave his word.”

She explained that Obi had first made the pledge in 2022, a position she initially challenged at the time due to its political implications.

“In 2022, when he was saying that, I remember saying to him, oh, sir, please, you can’t be serious. You can’t say you’re going to do one term and move on.”

Yesufu said she later pressed Obi to restate his commitment after the election, seeking clarity and assurance on what she described as a critical leadership principle.

“I need your word on this. I know you had said it before. I want you to repeat it. Is it true you’re going to do just one term?”

According to her, Obi responded with a firm reiteration of his position, tying it to personal integrity and accountability.

“Aisha, I told you even in 2023, and I still mean it, because I said I’m going out and I’m telling people this is what you have said. And I’m putting my name on the line. I don’t joke with my name. I don’t joke with my integrity. When I say something, I mean it.”

Yesufu further likened Obi’s leadership outlook to that of global figures such as Nelson Mandela and Lee Kuan Yew, arguing that impactful governance does not require prolonged time in office.

“When he talks, you see him put himself in the likes of Lee Kuan Yew, in the likes of Nelson Mandela, especially more of Nelson Mandela, and that a lot can be done in a country without you having to stay on, on, on, and on.”

She added that leaders who are not focused on re-election tend to prioritise national interest over political survival.

“When you know you’re not coming back, you’re not able to make decisions that work more for the nation, rather than decisions that work more for a few people, because you’re thinking of coming back and you need their help later or whatever.”

Yesufu said she believes Obi’s legacy-driven mindset could shape how future generations perceive leadership in Nigeria.

“Sitting down with him is seeing him wanting a Nigeria that not only works, but years from now, probably I would say like a hundred years from now, that people will remember him when they talk about Nigeria.” She concluded. (The Sun)

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