Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule has a message for Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi — in Nigerian politics, a one-term presidency is far from a simple promise.
Obi has consistently said he would serve just one term if elected in 2027, but speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time, Sule warned that political realities and entrenched interests often make such pledges difficult to keep.
“Peter Obi might say he wants to do one term, but it is not up to him,” Sule explained. “Once he assumes office, powerful interests will pressure him — ‘It’s our turn,’ ‘You cannot do that to us,’ ‘We will take you to court.’”
Sule argued that while a president may enter with reformist zeal, the sheer demands of governance and Nigeria’s complex power dynamics make it nearly impossible to deliver sweeping changes in just four years.
On the current administration’s performance, the governor praised President Bola Tinubu for progress in both the economy and security. He pointed to foreign reserves climbing to about $40 billion and oil production increasing from around 1.1 million to 1.8 million barrels per day.
“This is a government that is indeed going in the right direction,” he said. “Yes, we still have insecurity, but there are now more resources for states and the federal government to tackle it. I was there when Mr President himself acknowledged the challenges. If he didn’t believe there were challenges, he wouldn’t say so.”
Sule urged governors and local government chairmen to use the improved revenues to make a tangible difference in people’s lives.
