Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has declared that he would honour any coalition agreement that mandates him to serve only one term as president, handing over power to the North in 2031.
Speaking during a widely attended XSpace session titled #PeterObiOnParallelFacts, Obi emphasised that for him, character and integrity outweigh any desire for political office.
“If the agreement is one term, I will leave on May 28, 2031 — not even May 29. I am not desperate to be president. I am desperate to see Nigeria work,” he said in response to a question from a participant.
The interactive session, which attracted over 10,000 live listeners and close to 3,000 audience comments, covered a broad range of issues, including coalition politics, national insecurity, and President Bola Tinubu’s foreign engagements.
Obi underlined the importance of political zoning and coalition discipline, recounting how he respected zoning principles during his tenure in Anambra State, even when it came at personal political cost.
On speculation about a possible joint ticket with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar for the 2027 elections, Obi denied that any negotiations about candidacy were taking place. He stressed that the coalition’s focus should remain on Nigeria’s pressing challenges.
“If the coalition is about sharing tickets and power for its sake, count me out. I’m not interested. I want a coalition that stops the killings in Borno, puts food on people’s tables, and gets our industries working,” Obi stated.
Addressing concerns that some of his supporters might be resisting the idea of a political merger, Obi clarified that the issue was not one of rejection but of priorities.
“It’s not about rejection. We’ve never even discussed tickets. It’s about Nigeria first,” he explained.
On President Tinubu’s recent trip to St. Lucia, Obi described the presidential visit as both “out of touch” and “a misplacement of priorities.”
“You can’t build strong international relations when your domestic house is on fire,” he said, pointing out that St. Lucia, with a population of just 180,000, is smaller than Ajegunle in Lagos.
Obi voiced concern over the country’s worsening security and economic conditions, noting that Nigeria continues to experience mass killings and hardship while the president remains frequently overseas.
“We’re losing lives in Niger, Benue, Zamfara… and we’re gallivanting. You can’t travel around the world when people are being buried at home. Leaders must stay and lead from the front,” he declared.