In a candid conversation on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, ex-Kaduna State Governor Nasir El‑Rufai urged former governors Peter Obi (Anambra) and Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers) to abandon their pledges to serve only one term if elected president.
Both Obi and Amaechi have publicly advocated for four-year presidencies, with Obi asserting that he can deliver meaningful change within that timeframe.
Amaechi, also promising to step down after a single term, framed it as a move to promote political rotation and stability.
But El‑Rufai pushed back. Drawing on his experience as a two-term governor, he issued a blunt assessment:
“I don’t think anyone believes that. You should not constitutionally give up what is yours,” he said, adding that four years simply isn’t enough to enact substantive reforms.
He went further, warning that politicians often reverse such pledges after taking office:
“Politicians make these promises, but once in power, things change. Stop saying ‘I will do four years’ or ‘I will do eight years’ nobody believes you.”
El‑Rufai also revisited the high-stakes debate on power rotation, revealing that his support for the South’s turn at the presidency in 2023 stemmed from a consensus reached among APC founding leaders.
He recounted rallying northern governors to toe the party line, underscoring that zoning is still a strategic tool parties use to maximize electoral appeal.
