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A Reflection on Obi’s Single Term Proposal
By Sunny Ibeh Jnr
IIt’s onestly baffling and hard to believe that some folks are still rambling about Peter Obi’s statement on his resolve to serve only a single term if elected president. These people act as though integrity is completely extinct in politics.
Yes, politics is murky, unpredictable, and crawling with career shapeshifters, but let’s not pretend that everyone in the game is desperate and pretentious.
I believe Peter Obi. Wholeheartedly. I have no doubt that he would renege on his words. The man has a track record that aligns perfectly with his current stance. He doesn’t just talk the talk; he’s been walking it long before now. Obi isn’t some last minute convert to humility or service.
To the cynics claiming that four years isn’t enough to make a sustainable impact, that’s simply false. It’s a fallacy. A visionary doesn’t need a lifetime to make waves. In fact, give a leader with clarity, competence, and strategy just one term, and watch the foundational magic that unfolds.
Governor Alex Otti didn’t wait a decade to start transforming Abia. In just over two years, he has made tangible impacts and is setting the pace for a new Abia.
In just one term, Nelson Mandela dismantled apartheid and birthed a multiracial democracy in South Africa, laying the foundation for successive transformative leadership.
In the same regard, Samora Machel liberated Mozambique and championed Southern Africa’s freedom struggle, all within a single term. Franklin D. Roosevelt redefined America’s economic structure with the New Deal in his first term alone.
Moreso, in Mexico, Lázaro Cárdenas nationalized the country’s oil, redistributed land, and flipped the country’s socioeconomic script, all in four years. John F. Kennedy, who served as the 35th American President, in three years, launched the Peace Corps, initiated the Apollo program, made crucial strides in civil rights, and skillfully handled Cold War tensions.
Even Jimmy Carter, who served as the 39th president of America, was mocked during his presidency, but was later awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002. The recognition was largely due to the human rights initiatives he championed during and after his single term in office.
So no, Peter Obi isn’t selling utopia. He isn’t talking baloney! He’s making a bold, achievable promise. The only reason it’s raising eyebrows is because we’ve been repeatedly burned by unscrupulous charlatans in power. Trust has eroded us so badly that many now treat honesty as a political gimmick.
Let’s be honest. Most people doubting Obi’s one term promise don’t actually doubt him; they’re projecting the moral bankruptcy of their preferred candidates onto him. Their skepticism isn’t rooted in fact, but in their own disillusionment.
Obi’s one term vow isn’t some political fairytale. It isn’t a mirage or concocted cock and bull. It’s a bold challenge, refreshing, necessary, and timely. In a nutshell, a leader with a genuine sense of purpose, proven competence, and the determination to act can create lasting impact in a single term and lay the groundwork for transformative evolution in the nation’s political trajectory.
Sunny Ibeh Jnr is a Media & Communication Executive and a PR Consultant
Editor.meridianspy@gmail.com
