Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) candidate in the 2023 has finally spoken out, eleven days after the Supreme Court upheld President Bola Tinubu’s victory in the February 25 presidential election.
He stated that his vision for a new Nigeria remains alive despite the Supreme Court’s verdict on October 26, 2023.
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Obi expressed his disappointment with the apex court’s decision, during a press conference in Abuja, stating that it sacrificed justice for political expediency and let down the hopes of many Nigerians.
While Peter Obi criticized the Supreme Court’s decision, he acknowledged that the legal battle over the previous election had come to an end.
Addressing his supporters, known as ‘Obidients,’ the former Anambra State governor emphasized that achieving a new Nigeria is an ongoing journey, not a single event.
He further canvassed a single five-year term for Nigeria’s presidency for each of the geo-political zones with a 30-year rotation system. This is against the norm of a two-term tenure of four years each patterned after the United States democracy.
Obi gave this recommendation during a press conference in Abuja, held two weeks after the Supreme Court affirmed President Bola Tinubu’s electoral victory on February 25, 2023, under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
His proposal comes in response to a recent press briefing by Atiku, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the same election, who suggested a constitutional amendment to establish a six-year single term for the President.
In contrast, Obi disagreed with the six-year tenure idea, advocating for a five-year term with a 30-year rotation system.
He believes that such an amendment to the constitution would result in a functional and productive framework for Nigeria, including the introduction of a single tenure system.
“I thank (former) Vice President Atiku Abubakar for his position and his commitment to ensuring that things work better going forward in Nigeria but I disagree slightly,” he said.
“I will go for a five-year tenure, which will go for 30 years rotational — for a five-year tenure.”
The 62-year-old further proposed the implementation of a quasi-system that would enable leaders in office to simultaneously participate in the legislature.
In addition, he said a mechanism for leaders to be answerable to the public through regular question-and-answer sessions should be established.
“And I will still campaign for one thing, if we cannot go back to the issue of parliamentary democracy, we must have a quasi-system that will allow our elected leaders, whether prime minister or president, to be able to be part of the legislature, especially to answer question,” he said.
“Maybe a presidential question or prime minister question, instead of hiring surrogates. We want to hear from the people we elected now and that is critical. We cannot continue with this way where we are now, where people have outsourced leadership.”
Obi appreciated “the energy and dedication of Nigerian youths and the Obidient movement”.
He said, “I want to assure them that this is not the end of our journey but in fact the beginning. Nigerians heard you, the world has taken note and we will not forget easily. We shall endure, and persist until we reach our destination because new Nigeria is our destination. A destination is not an event.”
