‘He’s talking out of ignorance’ — Farouq Aliyu knocks Obi on single term presidency promise

Farouq Aliyu, former minority leader of the house of representatives, has criticised Peter Obi’s promise to serve only one term if elected president.

Obi had said he is willing to be a one-term president if elected in 2027.

Speaking on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, on Wednesday, Aliyu described Obi’s promise as mere rhetoric and accused him of lacking understanding of the complexities of governing Nigeria.

“Sometimes when you’re out of office or when you’re not in the place, you’d not know. To me, it’s just rhetoric, and he’s also trying to convince people,” Aliyu said.

He said Obi’s experience as a state governor does not equip him with the perspective needed to govern a country as vast as Nigeria.

“Obi is talking out of ignorance. He doesn’t know. States are different from Nigeria. When you govern a small state, the horizon of a state governor is not as wide as the horizon of a president,” Aliyu added.

Aliyu also commented on the opposition coalition, particularly the African Democratic Congress (ADC), noting that those coming together are respected but do not pose a significant threat to the dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“We respect them; we admire them as Nigerian leaders, but honestly, they don’t threaten us. All of them are after us. So, we need to spread our tentacles to make sure we pour sand inside their gàárì,” he said.

Aliyu acknowledged that some opposition voices are constructive but are not strong enough to destabilise the ruling party ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

“Whether they are going to give us a run for our money, I don’t think so. It is a conglomeration of presidential candidates. Virtually all leaders of that group want to be president; unfortunately for them, only one person can be president,” he said.