₦airaland Forum

A former Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yabagi Sani, has said Peter Obi’s proposal to serve only one term if elected president in 2027 is unlikely to gain traction in northern Nigeria.

Speaking during a Channels TV interview on Monday, Sani said the North views power rotation as a matter of balance, not sentiment, and would question why power should remain in the South after President Bola Tinubu.

“Obi can say he’ll do one term, but northerners will ask: after Tinubu, why should power stay in the South?” he said.


Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, had said during an X Space conversation on Sunday that he was open to a single-term presidency if that aligns with his coalition’s zoning arrangement.
But Sani dismissed the idea as unconvincing to northern stakeholders, who still place value on the informal North-South power rotation agreement.

“The principle of eight years North and eight years South still holds. With Tinubu likely seeking re-election, Obi’s offer appears to be a shortcut that won’t sit well in the North,” he said.

He also questioned Obi’s ability to keep such a promise, citing past leaders who reneged on reformist pledges once in power.

“We’ve seen it before. People come in shouting reform and later try to alter the constitution to extend their stay. Peter Obi is no saint; he’s not from another planet,” Sani said.

He argued that the realities of incumbency, state capture, and political pressure make it easy to abandon promises.
“So many people won’t take Obi’s one-term talk seriously,” he added.

As preparations for the 2027 presidential election begin, many political leaders and groups in Northern Nigeria have reacted differently to Peter Obi’s promise to serve only one term if elected president.

While some believe his offer is a good step toward unity, others fear it may be another political trick.


Former Jigawa State Governor and top PDP member, Sule Lamido, said he would support Obi if the planned coalition of opposition parties chooses him as their candidate. Although he made it clear that he remains a PDP member, Lamido said that leadership should not be about tribe or region, but about competence and vision. He also said the idea of zoning power between the North and South was created for peace after the annulled 1993 election, but it has now become a problem. “If the coalition picks Obi or anyone ready to rescue Nigeria, I will support them,” he said.

Also, Tanko Yunusa, coordinator of the Obidient Movement, said Obi’s philanthropy and clear message have helped him gain support. “Even the Pantami Emirate in Gombe gave him a traditional title recently. That means a lot,” he said.


Skepticism and Doubts in the North.

Former Minister Ibrahim Nakande said the promise was simply political and questioned whether people from Obi’s region would even allow him to step down after one term.

Alhaji Muhammad Danlami, of the Arewa Youth Assembly, warned that the North had been deceived before, especially by Goodluck Jonathan, who also promised to do just one term but ran again in 2015. “We’ve seen this play before. The North won’t fall for such promises again,” Danlami said.

Some Call for Merit Over Zoning

The Arewa Defence League (ADL), led by Alhaji Murtala Abubakar, strongly disagrees with the idea of zoning or forcing a one-term presidency. He said Nigeria needs leaders based on merit, not regional deals. “The best candidate should win—North or South. Zoning leads to weak leadership,” he said.

Others Prefer Tinubu Finishes Two Terms

Alhaji Tanko Yakasai, an elder statesman, said if Nigerians want a Northern president, President Tinubu is in the best position to hand over in 2031 after completing two terms, as the constitution only allows two terms.


While Peter Obi’s promise of a single four-year term has impressed some groups, especially in the Middle Belt, many in the far North remain cautious. Memories of past unkept promises, especially from 2011, make it difficult for some leaders to fully trust him. As 2027 draws closer, it’s clear that the North remains divided over whether Obi’s promise is sincere or just another campaign strategy.

Also, Tanko Yunusa, coordinator of the Obidient Movement, said Obi’s philanthropy and clear message have helped him gain support. “Even the Pantami Emirate in Gombe gave him a traditional title recently. That means a lot,” he said.

Babangidapikin:
What about Baba that won't allow us rest with devolution of power, Oransanye's report .. the only thing he did successfully is removing fuel subsidy which is substituted with electricity subsidy...Oga Atiku and Oga Obi knows the North East never chop , I don't know if I add Ex President Nnamdi Azikwe as the South East eating...

Goo0dHardDick:
Obi should not become vc to anyone.

Atiku should step down if he is serious about the coalition

sleek214:
Nobody is making him VC but he will be VP under Atiku.. are you a delusional obidient or a Tinubu supporter?

TimeManager:
The problem with a lot of you guys on social media in this era is your intellectual laziness and this is no intent to insult anyone. You don't need t always rely on newspaper headlines, try as much as possible to get closer to politics and follow developing events. It's no longer news that the Senate, as we speak, are engaging in public consultations & town hall meetings for constitutional amendment in each geopolitical zone. Even today, there is a town hall engagement for the North Central region. The constitutional amendment is geared towards fiscal federalism and restructuring.

-Kiss the truth!

Babangidapikin:
So two years is not enough for the Constitutional Amendment to go through, but Two years was enough to pass a Tax bill , which I hope would allow small upcoming firm breath and I hope they also remove the sanctions on status of company. Not everyone can remember to be filing return when you aren't making money from a company.

TimeManager:
You see what I was talking about, he is comparing passage of a bill to constitutional amendment. Can you see how intellectual laziness has taken a grip on this generation, quite unfortunate.


-Kiss the truth!

Babangidapikin:
What is the big deal you act as if you would be consulted before amendment takes place. What is wrong in holding the town hall meeting simultaneously... na you know wetin be intellectual laziness.

Putindbutt:
Na wa to you o, una no just dey gree learn. You still dey talk upsidedown despite trying to enlighten you.

Babangidapikin:
He said they are holding meetings piecemeal, I gave suggestion why not simultaneously.. abi you don't want the State to be feeding the Federal Government, instead of what we have now ..

Putindbutt:
What's this one saying?, you too dey expose ignorance. There's constitutional review committee and na dem dey schedule arrangements for public hearings. They have to be at each region st a time and send back reports to the house. Do you even think it is something they will do one time?.. abeg abeg.

Babangidapikin:
So with technology available and Satellite they're still going about, something they can listen to at the comfort of their offices ..

Putindbutt:
Chai, who do some people like this 🤣🤣😂

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Apcshit:
Why is obi desperate to be president. I used to like him not anymore