The National Campaign Council of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, has disagreed with former Governor of Imo State, Rochas Okorocha over his comments on Mr. Peter Obi’s decision to be in office for one term.
Okorocha had, during his appearance on Channel Television’s, programme, “Politics Today,” described Obi’s decision as gambling.
However, reacting to Okorocha’s comments, Director-General
National Campaign Council of the NDC, Mallam Ibrahim Hussain Abdulkarim said the party reviewed the programme and disageed with him.
“We have reviewed Senator Rochas Okorocha’s comments on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
“We accept his description of Peter Obi as “a fantastic gentleman; clear in his head.” On the claim that a single term is “a four-year gambling,” we respectfully disagree,” Abdulkarim said.
Citing a section of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution; Abdulkarim argued that a president could decide to leave office after four years.
“Section 135(2) of the 1999 Constitution provides that a President shall leave office after four years and may seek a further four years. In law, ‘may’ is permissive, not mandatory. A single term is therefore constitutional. It is not a gamble.
“Nigeria already tested an eight-year tenure between 2015 and 2023. The result was rising inflation, a weakened naira, soaring public debt, widespread poverty, and insecurity across the country. That is the real balance sheet of prolonged tenure without performance,” he said.
Insisting that Obi’s one-term offer is not a gamble, Abdulkarim said the NDC presidential candidates wants to be judged by result.
“Peter Obi’s offer is a performance bond, not a gamble. He has pledged to serve one term, to be judged strictly by results, and to hand over power in 2031 in recognition that it is the turn of the North. This is sacrifice for national stability.
“Leadership is measured by impact, not duration. Nigeria’s problem has never been insufficient time. It has been the repeated failure to use time well. Mr. Obi proposes to reverse that culture: one term dedicated entirely to delivery.
“When a man entitled to eight years voluntarily chooses four and invites the nation to judge him by results, he is not gambling. He is sacrificing.
“This is not a gamble. It is a rescue mission with a deadline,” Abdulkarim said.
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