Presidency Slams Peter Obi Over One-Term Promise, Calls Him a Liar

The Presidency has fired back at former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi after he reaffirmed his promise to serve only one term if elected President of Nigeria.

Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, strongly criticized Obi’s remarks in a post shared on social media platform X (formerly Twitter). He described the former Anambra State governor as a “liar” and accused him of making false promises.

“You are neither Mandela, Lincoln, nor Kennedy,” Onanuga wrote, referencing iconic leaders whom Obi had been likened to by some of his supporters.

Onanuga questioned why Obi, who served two terms as Anambra State governor, didn’t stop at one term then, if he truly believed in the principle of serving just four years.

“If you couldn’t transform a small Anambra after 8 years, how will you handle a complex Nigeria in 4 years?” he added.

He also took a swipe at Obi’s political journey, accusing him of breaking past promises, including one where he vowed never to leave his former party, APGA. Onanuga suggested that if Obi had an excuse to leave one party, he could easily break his one-term pledge too.

Obi had earlier reaffirmed that he would serve only four years if elected, stating that he wanted to lay the foundation for a working Nigeria and not remain in power for long.

However, the presidency sees this as political posturing and dismissed the statement as part of Obi’s alleged habit of making empty promises.

The exchange adds to the ongoing tension between the Tinubu administration and opposition figures like Peter Obi, as conversations around the 2027 elections begin to slowly take shape.