‘Sensible mantra’ — Utomi backs Obi’s one-term presidency proposal

Pat Utomi, a political economist, says Nigeria should adopt a one-term presidency to prevent leaders from wasting eight years in office.

Utomi spoke in an interview with BusinessDay Television while reacting to Peter Obi’s vow to spend only one term in office if elected president in 2027.

He said he was not surprised by Obi’s position, noting that the former Anambra governor has long advocated for a single-term rotational presidency.

“It shows how little attention people pay to details of matters,” he said.

“I was not surprised at all to hear Peter Obi say that, because for years before the last election, Obi’s mantra was that one of the first things he would do if elected in 2023 was to ensure a one-term rotational presidency.

“That was his mantra in 2002 and 2001. He talked about this. That if he was elected, he would move quickly to one five-year term rotating across geopolitical zones.

“So why would anybody now begin to say they doubt it? He said it long before this scenario of now came up. People are just mischief makers.”

Utomi reiterated that two presidential terms promote waste.

“By the way, I don’t know why this obsession with two terms. ICAN has a one-term system, it rotates, and everybody seems to be happy,” he added.

“Why is there this obsession with spending eight years doing nothing? Most of them do nothing — just destroy a country in eight years.

“I personally would actually vote for a mandatory one-term. It’s not my idea, it’s Peter’s idea, and I would support it. Not because it’s his idea, but because it makes sense given this obsession with two terms.

“Non-performing people waste the lives of others for eight years. I think after four or five years, you should move on and let new thinking try their bit.”