Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, has said political pressure makes it difficult for incumbent presidents to fulfil the promise of serving one term.
Sule was referencing repeated takes by Peter Obi, 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) that he is willing to be a one-term president if elected in 2027.
Speaking on Prime Time, an Arise Television programme, on Friday, Sule cautioned Obi and other aspirants against underestimating the complexities of governance in Nigeria.
The Nasarawa governor said while a president might intend to serve only two years or a single term, the reality of the office and the political environment often make it nearly impossible to solve even a fraction of Nigeria’s problems within four years.
“Peter Obi might say he wants to do one term, but it is not up to him,” Sule said.
“Once he assumes office, powerful interests will pressure him, saying, ‘It’s our turn; you cannot do that to us,’ ‘we cannot allow you to do that,’ and ‘we will take you to court if you do that.’”
Speaking on the performance of the current administration, Sule praised President Bola Tinubu’s efforts to stabilise the economy and improve security.
He highlighted the government’s success in boosting Nigeria’s foreign reserves to about $40 billion and increasing oil production from roughly 1.1 million to 1.8 million barrels per day.
He said Tinubu acknowledged ongoing security challenges in the north and has urged state governors and LG chairmen to use improved revenues to address the hardships faced by Nigerians.
“This is a government that is indeed going in the right direction. The government is doing everything possible to bring back the future of this government,” Sule said.
“This government has worked very hard to improve our foreign reserve, which is somewhere around 40 billion USD today.
“The government has worked very hard to improve oil production from roughly 1.1 to about 1.8 million barrels per day. Yes, we are still having problems with insecurity. There are more resources available for both states and the federal government to fight insecurity.
“There are still challenges. I was there when Mr President himself said there are challenges, so I want the governors and local government chairmen, based on the improved revenues you’re getting, to touch the lives of people who are actually going through challenges.
“If the president doesn’t believe there are challenges, he wouldn’t say that.”