Labour Party’s Arabambi Dismisses Peter Obi’s One-Term Pledge, Questions His Credibility
A chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), Abayomi Arabambi, has criticized Peter Obi’s vow to serve only one term if elected president in 2027, arguing that Nigerians should not place trust in such a promise.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Tuesday monitored by Tunexreportes, Arabambi dismissed Obi’s one-term pledge, pointing to the former Anambra State governor’s defection from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) as evidence of inconsistency.
“We are not going to trust him,” Arabambi declared, recalling Obi’s previous statement that he would remain in APGA before eventually leaving the party. “Peter Obi cannot be telling Nigerians, ‘Oh don’t worry, I will do a single term,’ when he once promised to stay in APGA and later defected,” he added.
Obi, who was the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, finished third with over six million votes. Recently, he renewed his commitment to serving only one term if elected president in 2027, stating via X (formerly Twitter), “In my political life, my word is my bond…My vow to serve only one term of four years is a solemn commitment, rooted in my conviction that purposeful, transparent leadership does not require an eternity.”
However, Arabambi dismissed this declaration, alleging that Obi’s support during the 2023 election stemmed from youth dissatisfaction with President Buhari’s administration and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), rather than any significant contribution from Obi himself.
He further claimed that Obi did not financially support the Labour Party, asserting that Obi benefited more from the party than he contributed. “No kobo of Peter Obi entered the party,” Arabambi alleged, insisting that it was the Labour Party that elevated Obi, not the other way around.
In contrast, renowned author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie has defended Obi’s integrity and motivations, stating that her support for him was based on his selfless leadership and deep commitment to Nigeria.
“Peter Obi doesn’t need to be president. He wants to be because he cares about Nigeria,” Adichie said during an interview on Channels Television’s Amazing Africans. She added, “There are people desperate to be president for ego, not because they have good intentions. Peter Obi is different.”
Adichie further noted that Obi sees leadership as a duty, not an opportunity for praise or power. “He’s accountable to the people and doesn’t expect gratitude for doing his job,” she said, describing him as a leader who does not see himself as superior to the people he serves.
