Abayomi Arabambi, factional National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party (LP), has criticized the party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, over his recent pledge to serve only one term if elected president in 2027, describing Obi’s comparison of himself to global icons like Nelson Mandela as “insulting and misleading.”
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, had reiterated his vow to serve for a single four-year term, stating that he did not require eight years to reposition Nigeria. In justifying his promise, Obi referenced the leadership legacies of Abraham Lincoln, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela.
But speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday, Arabambi dismissed the comparison, saying Obi lacks the leadership record and ideological commitment of the figures he cited.
“It’s an insult for Peter Obi to compare himself to Nelson Mandela. They are two parallel lines that can never meet,” Arabambi said.
He added, “Here is a man who could not build the Labour Party. He once said openly that he is not in the party to build it but only to fix Nigeria. That’s exactly what he’s doing now neglecting the party structure.”
Arabambi further questioned Obi’s political credibility, citing his departure from the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the platform on which he governed Anambra State for eight years.
He accused Obi of breaking a public vow never to leave APGA, referencing a fallout between Obi and party leader Peter Umeh over the conduct of local government elections.
“Obi cannot be telling Nigerians he will do only one term when, from the beginning, he made a public commitment to remain in APGA and later defected. Nobody should trust Obi because of his antecedents,” Arabambi said.
Obi, who ran for president in 2023 under the LP platform and emerged third in the final results, has yet to officially declare for the 2027 race but has continued to make statements suggesting renewed interest.
