VICE-PRESIDENTIAL candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has revealed that the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, signed two written agreements committing to serving only one four-year term if elected president in 2027.
Speaking on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ on Monday, Mr Kwankwaso said one agreement was executed by the party, while the other was a personal accord between himself and Mr Obi. He said the arrangement provides for the presidency to return to Northern Nigeria in 2031 after the completion of a one-term Obi administration.
“We have agreed to formalise it in writing. We have executed one document for the party and another between the two of us,” Kwankwaso said, expressing confidence that Obi would honour the commitment.
He added that both leaders agreed to continue working together beyond 2031, describing the power rotation as a consensus reached to strengthen the partnership.
However, copies of the agreements have not been made public, and their contents have not been independently verified.
It therefore remains unclear whether they contain enforcement provisions or outline the process for selecting a northern presidential candidate in 2031. Obi has previously pledged to serve a single term but has not publicly confirmed the specific agreements described by Kwankwaso.
The disclosure marks a significant development in the political relationship between the two leaders, whose proposed alliance collapsed ahead of the 2023 presidential election after they failed to agree on the presidential ticket.
Kwankwaso said their renewed partnership was built on shared policy objectives after comparing their respective blueprints for governance. He described Obi as “a serious politician” committed to Nigeria’s development.
Both politicians initially joined a broader opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) before leaving the platform over disagreements relating to zoning, party leadership and legal disputes.
They later joined the NDC, where Obi emerged as the party’s presidential candidate and named Kwankwaso as his running mate. The reported one-term agreement is seen as the compromise that facilitated the ticket.
Kwankwaso also dismissed claims that northern voters would reject Obi in 2027, citing the former Anambra governor’s performance in the 2023 presidential election, when he secured more than two million votes across Northern Nigeria.
Political observers say the disclosure could help the NDC reassure northern stakeholders over power rotation ahead of the 2027 election.
However, until the agreements are made public and independently verified, the arrangement remains a political commitment rather than a legally binding constitutional provision.
