Anambra State Governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo, has openly criticised the recent call by Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for a one-term presidency, describing it as “insulting” and “a calculated deceit.” Soludo questioned the sincerity and logic behind such an offer, implying it was either a gimmick to sway voters or a clear sign of political unseriousness.
Speaking during a political gathering in Awka on Saturday, Soludo didn’t mince words as he challenged the proposition head-on.
“How can anybody — anybody with brain — come before Nigerians and say, ‘I will do only one term’? Are you talking to fools? You think Nigerians are stupid?” Soludo asked pointedly, drawing murmurs from the audience. “Any politician who makes that kind of offer must undergo psychiatric examination. Something is fundamentally wrong.”
Although he did not mention Obi by name, the reference was unmistakable, coming just days after Obi reiterated in an interview that he would serve only a single term if elected, promising to set Nigeria on a path of irreversible development within four years.
Soludo, a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, said the one-term pitch is not only unrealistic but also a mockery of the complex problems facing Nigeria.
“Is four years enough to fix decades of decay? Are we rebuilding a grocery shop or a nation of over 200 million people? Leadership is not a sprint — it’s a marathon of planning, execution, and continuity. Don’t come here playing messiah with half-baked promises,” he said.
He accused those making such declarations of playing on the emotions of desperate citizens and capitalizing on the public’s frustration with the current state of governance.
“If you mean business, show us your blueprint. Show us how you’ll revive the economy, secure the country, create jobs, and unite the people. That’s what matters — not some sanctimonious claim that you’ll step aside after four years. It’s either you don’t understand governance or you’re trying to buy trust cheaply,” Soludo said.
He also warned voters not to fall for “sugar-coated populism” dressed in pseudo-humility, noting that such strategies had been used in the past to deceive Nigerians.
“Democracy thrives on accountability and sincerity — not calculated showmanship. Nigerians should be wiser,” he added.
This latest jab is another episode in the increasingly frosty relationship between Soludo and Obi, both of whom are from Anambra State. While Soludo governs under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Obi, a former governor of the same state, is now a leading opposition figure under the Labour Party.
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