The vice-presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Kwankwaso, has confirmed that he and the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, signed a written agreement committing Obi to serve only one four-year term if elected president in the 2027 general election. Kwankwaso said the arrangement goes beyond verbal assurances and forms part of the party’s broader political understanding on power rotation.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, Kwankwaso said he has no reason to doubt Peter Obi’s commitment to the Obi one term pledge. According to him, Obi has consistently demonstrated integrity and is unlikely to reverse his position if elected into office.
“I personally believe him, and I don’t think, based on what I now know about him, he will renege. I don’t think he will change his mind when the time comes,” Kwankwaso said.
Kwankwaso explained that the understanding between both leaders was formally documented rather than left as an informal political promise. He disclosed that separate written agreements had been prepared—one governing arrangements within the political party and another specifically covering the understanding between himself and Obi.
“We are all gentlemen, even though we have accepted to even put it on paper. We have done one agreement for the party, and we have done another one for us,” he stated.
When asked about the details of the agreement, Kwankwaso revealed that it provides for political power to return to northern Nigeria after Obi completes a single four-year tenure.
According to him, the arrangement reflects a broader consensus among party stakeholders aimed at preserving unity within the coalition. He said the agreement provides that after the administration’s tenure from 2027 to 2031, party leaders and stakeholders would work together to support the return of the presidency to the North.
“The agreement is that after four years we will come together as a party, friends and brothers, involve everybody and work together so that after our four-year term, power returns to the North,” he explained.
Peter Obi has repeatedly stated that one presidential term would be sufficient to implement his proposed reforms and address Nigeria’s key governance and economic challenges. The latest disclosure by Kwankwaso provides further insight into the internal political arrangement behind the NDC ticket ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the Obi one term commitment now confirmed as part of a written agreement between the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
