Aisha Yesufu, a chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has recalled a conversation with the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his decision to seek only one term if elected president in 2027.

Yesufu said Obi told her that a single four-year term would be enough to put the necessary structures in place and begin implementing the changes he believes Nigeria needs.

The NDC chieftain disclosed this during an interview with Advocacy for Good Governance on Monday, while discussing Obi’s position that he would serve for only one term if Nigerians give him their mandate in the 2027 presidential election.

What Obi Told Her

Yesufu said she once questioned Obi directly about why he would voluntarily limit his presidency to one term when the Constitution would allow him to seek re-election.

According to her, she challenged the former Anambra State governor over the position.

“I told him, you’re on your own, what do you mean you’re only going to do one term and he said Aisha, only one term, one time is enough to put things in place,” Yesufu said.

She explained that Obi’s response indicated that he believed four years would be sufficient to establish the structures required to begin the changes he envisaged for Nigeria.

Yesufu said the conversation strengthened her conviction that Obi’s one-term promise was not simply a campaign strategy intended to attract voters ahead of the 2027 election.

Obi’s Position Over Time

Obi’s one-term position, according to Yesufu, predates the current presidential contest.

She said he had expressed the same position before the 2023 presidential election, when he contested under the Labour Party.

Obi also restated the position in July 2026, saying he planned to serve for four years and leave office after completing the term.

The repeated nature of the position is central to Yesufu’s argument that the proposal represents a longstanding view rather than a position adopted specifically for the 2027 election.

Why The One-Term Promise Matters

Yesufu said the issue is important because political leaders should be able to keep promises made to the public, particularly when those promises concern the exercise of political power.

Her account therefore places Obi’s proposed four-year presidency within a broader discussion about leadership, political promises and the use of executive power.

If elected in 2027, Obi’s stated intention would mean voluntarily limiting his time in office to a single term despite the constitutional possibility of seeking another term.

For Yesufu, the fact that Obi had maintained the position across different stages of his political career is what gives the promise significance.

2027 Outlook

Obi’s one-term position now forms part of the political discussion surrounding his bid for the presidency in 2027.

While Yesufu has presented the pledge as a longstanding commitment, the decision to serve for only one term would ultimately depend on Obi maintaining that position if elected.

For now, his stated plan remains to use one four-year term to put structures in place and begin the changes he believes Nigeria needs.