Dele Farotimi, human rights activist and lawyer, has expressed support for Peter Obi’s call for a single-term presidency.

Farotimi spoke on Monday during Channels Television’s breakfast programme, Sunrise Daily.

His remarks followed Obi’s vow to serve only one four-year term if elected president, describing the pledge as “sacrosanct”.

The former Anambra state governor cited global figures such as Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy and Nelson Mandela as examples of principled, short-term leadership.

Farotimi criticised past Nigerian leaders for failing to deliver meaningful change despite spending long periods in office.

“(Olusegun) Obasanjo had eight years; what did he do with it? (Muhammadu) Buhari had eight years; what did he do with it? He ruined Nigeria. (President Bola) Tinubu has had two years, and he is taking us back 50 years.

“So it’s not really about how much time the person spends; it’s a function of what they do with the time that they have,” he said.

Obasanjo was president from May 1999 to May 2007, while Buhari served from May 2015 to May 2023, before handing over to Tinubu, a former Lagos state governor.

Farotimi added that lasting impact is not dependent on a long tenure.

“I first heard this one-term presidency idea from Peter Obi during the election cycle. It’s not about how long he says he wishes to serve; I’m more interested in what he intends to do with that time.

“If I ever run for the presidency of Nigeria, I wouldn’t require more than two years to do everything I need to do. You don’t need a long term to achieve lasting change, but the question should be: what does he intend to do with the one term?”