A member of the opposition coalition, Kenneth Okonkwo, has suggested that the promise by a former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi, to serve for one term if elected as President is a political strategy to curry favour from the North.
Okonkwo explained that Obi knows that if he does not make the promise, he would lose votes from the northern region of the country.
The veteran actor turned politician stated this on Friday while fielding questions on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
Okonkwo argued that any party serious about defeating an incumbent must agree that its presidential candidate would serve for one term so that no side will feel cheated.
“So I brought the theory as a way for any opposition party to inspire Nigerians to know that each side will not lose when they make any choice, whether north or south.
“So, it was even Atiku Abubakar that first of all said he was going to do one term, then Peter Obi now keyed into it because he knows that if he, as a younger person, does not make that promise, he loses the entire North.
“So it’s purely a political strategy to say, ‘Look, I am not going to cut the eight years. I’m not going to shortchange you. So if I am elected, I will just do only four years to complete the eight years of the South.’ So that’s just the whole idea about it,” he added.
Why Peter Obi proposed one-term presidency — Kenneth Okonkwo
