A lawyer and human rights activist, Dele Farotimi, has weighed in on the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi’s proposal for a one-term presidency.

Farotimi recalled that it was not the first time the former Anambra State governor had made such a suggestion, noting that Obi also raised it during the 2023 election campaign.

He, however, stressed that Obi’s motive for the proposal should be critically examined, arguing that the matter goes beyond mere public declarations.

“A man says he’s going to spend one term. One term to do what? I think we should ask that question,” he said in an interview published by Channels Television on Sunday night.

“If I have a vision that can be contained within my lifetime, then it’s not a vision, it’s just an ambition. If it’s a vision, I will need my children’s children to complete that task.

“So, if a man says, ‘I’m going to run for one term.’ I am more interested in asking questions about his plans. What would you do with the one term?” He added.

However, Farotimi argued that a leader who already has a well-documented plan for the country would not need many years in office to deliver results and effect meaningful change.

He pointed out that despite serving two terms, former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Muhammadu Buhari left little impact, while the current administration has spent over two years in office with nothing tangible to show.

“Obasanjo had eight years; what did he do with them? Buhari had eight years; what did he do with it? He ruined Nigeria. Tinubu has had two years, he’s taking us back like 50 years.

“So, it’s not really about how much time the person spends; it’s a function of what they are doing with the time that they have,” he said.

Peter Obi had declared that, if elected President of Nigeria, he would serve only a single four-year term before handing power back to the North, in line with the long-standing gentleman’s agreement on power rotation between the North and South.

His proposal has sparked mixed reactions, with some critics accusing the former Anambra State governor of being overly ambitious.