The Igbo socio-cultural group Ohanaeze Ndigbo has reiterated its stance that an Igbo person should serve two terms as president once they are elected, dismissing the idea of a single-term presidency as “delusional.”
In a statement released on Thursday by its Deputy President-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the group reaffirmed its commitment to the two-term limit for the president and governors as outlined in the 1999 Constitution.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo described the push for a one-term presidency as a “ruse,” arguing that it would be a “monumental injustice” for an Igbo leader to voluntarily limit their tenure to four years, given the region’s historical lack of executive power at the federal level.
The organisation noted that since Major General J.T.U. Aguiyi-Ironsi’s brief tenure in 1966, no Igbo person has held the presidency with executive powers.
The group also stated that while an Igbo presidency is a legitimate aspiration, it is “not feasible in 2027.”
Ohanaeze Ndigbo believes that anyone currently advocating for a one-term presidency is either “driven by desperation,” “deceptive,” or using “cunning strategies for their own personal gain.”
The organisation urged the Nigerian electorate to question any politician who supports a single-term presidency.
Part of the statement read: “Specifically, if the Presidential Aspirant is proposing a single term in 2027, what is the fate of the only Governor under the same political party? Will this Governor, in deference to the proposed single-term principle, relinquish power in 2027 after a single term in office? Or will the Governor seek re-election, thus exposing the hypocrisy inherent in the single-term proposition?
“Furthermore, what of the National Assembly members under the same party – are they also prepared to forgo re-election in 2027 to align with the single-term agenda?
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“Should the answer to these crucial questions be affirmative, that the Governor intends to seek re-election, then Nigerians must unequivocally recognize that the proponent of this single-term Presidency in 2027 is employing a campaign strategy built upon falsehood, deception, and a fundamental lack of sincerity. It is a strategy doomed to fail.
“Ohanaeze Ndigbo firmly advocates for an Igbo Presidency, but not at the cost of compromising the principles of democratic governance. The organization supports a two-term Presidency for any Igbo person who is eventually elected.
“Any individual advancing the single-term Presidency concept therefore lacks the endorsement of Ndigbo. Such a Presidential Aspirant, on moral grounds, has effectively disqualified themselves from the 2027 presidential election.
“Those who promote the concept of a one-term presidency must demonstrate consistency within their own political party. They should present concrete examples of one-term Governors, one-term Senators, and one-term members of the House of Representatives to prove the sincerity of their commitment to this idea.”
