Human rights activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has endorsed presidential hopeful Peter Obi’s proposal for a single-term presidency, arguing that Nigeria’s past leaders squandered extended periods in office without delivering meaningful progress.
“(Olusegun) Obasanjo had eight years; what did he do with it? (Muhammadu) Buhari had eight years; what did he do with it? He ruined Nigeria. (President Bola) Tinubu has had two years, and he is taking us back 50 years. So it’s not really about how much time the person spends; it’s a function of what they do with the time that they have,” Farotimi said on Monday during Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
Obasanjo served as Nigeria’s president from May 1999 to May 2007, while Buhari was in office from May 2015 to May 2023 before handing over to Tinubu. Farotimi stressed that impactful governance does not require a long stay in office.
“I first heard this one-term presidency idea from Peter Obi during the election cycle. I’m more interested in what he intends to do with that time. If I ever run for the presidency, I wouldn’t require more than two years to do everything I need to do,” he added.
Peter Obi has repeatedly pledged to serve only a single four-year term if elected, later suggesting Nigeria adopt a single five-year presidential term similar to South Korea’s model, where re-election is not permitted. The proposal has sparked mixed reactions, with some questioning his sincerity.
