Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi says he would honour any coalition agreement that requires him to serve a single term and hand over power to the North in 2031, emphasising that character and integrity mean more to him than holding office.
Speaking during a widely followed XSpace session tagged #PeterObiOnParallelFacts, which attracted over 10,000 live participants and nearly 3,000 comments on Sunday night, Jun 29, Obi addressed key national issues ranging from coalition politics to the president’s foreign trips.
“If the agreement is one term, I’ll leave on May 28, 2031 — not even May 29. I’m not desperate to be president. I’m desperate to see Nigeria work,” Obi said in response to a question from a user named Balactic.
He emphasised that respecting zoning and coalition terms demonstrates political maturity, recalling how he upheld zoning in Anambra State, even at personal cost.
When asked about President Bola Tinubu’s recent trip to St. Lucia, Obi described it as “out of touch” and “a misplacement of priorities,” pointing out that the Caribbean nation’s population of 180,000 is smaller than that of Ajegunle in Lagos.
“You can’t build strong international relations when your domestic house is on fire,” he said, highlighting Nigeria’s struggles with mass killings, economic hardship, and security crises while noting the president has spent over 59 days abroad this year.
“We’re losing lives in Niger, Benue, Zamfara… and we’re gallivanting. You can’t travel around the world when people are being buried at home. Leaders must stay and lead from the front,” Obi declared.
Addressing speculation about a joint ticket with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 2027, Obi firmly denied any such discussions, stressing that the coalition’s true purpose is to fix Nigeria.
“If the coalition is about sharing tickets and power for its sake, count me out. I’m not interested. I want a coalition that stops the killings in Borno, puts food on people’s tables, and gets our industries working,” he said.
Obi also dismissed claims that his supporters oppose a merger. “It’s not about rejection. We’ve never even discussed tickets. It’s about Nigeria first,” he said.
Reflecting on his time as governor of Anambra State, Obi recalled visiting scenes of tragedy and attending funerals for unknown victims, insisting that true leadership requires feeling the people’s pain.
“Leadership is not about flying jets. It’s about compassion,” he said. “If 17 soldiers die in Niger and the president is commissioning parties in Lagos, we’ve lost our humanity.” he said
He concluded with a call for leadership rooted in humility, service, and responsibility:
“I don’t want to be president to decorate my CV. I want to show that leadership can be different — and effective.”
