Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, has ridiculed politicians promising to serve only one term if elected into office, describing such pledges as fraudulent, empty, and a direct insult to the intelligence of the people.
Soludo, speaking during an interview on Arise News Primetime on Wednesday night, warned Anambra voters to beware of what he called “cheap political gimmicks” being deployed by desperate aspirants ahead of the November 8 governorship election.
“Anybody saying they will spend one term is either deliberately being deceitful or has mental issues,” the governor said pointedly. “They know their manifestos cannot be achieved in four years. Even if they spent 20 years, they won’t scratch it. They are simply playing on people’s intelligence, thinking Anambra people are fools.”
According to Soludo, the one-term pledge is not only deceptive but a recycled trick used in past elections to hoodwink unsuspecting voters.
He recalled that during the 2017 governorship election, the same rhetoric was used against his predecessor, Willie Obiano, only for the people of Anambra to reject it and hand APGA a sweeping victory across all 21 local government areas.
“This same trick was used in 2017 when my predecessor was seeking re-election, and Anambra people rejected it. We won 21 over 21 local governments. Nobody bought that crap,” Soludo said. “Now they are back again with the same lie. It is nothing but disingenuous politics.”
The governor argued that such candidates, mostly from the Anambra South Senatorial Zone, were seeking to “torpedo” the state’s zoning arrangement, which rotates power between senatorial districts.
“I am from the South, and the South just finished its term before handing over to me. The plan is for it to go to the Central after me. So anybody from the South promising to spend one term is clearly swimming against the tide and attempting to deceive the people,” he said.
Pressed on whether his comments about “mental issues” were inflammatory and unbecoming of a governor, Soludo pushed back, insisting he was speaking from experience as a reformer.
He pointed to his record as a former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor and national economic planner, where, according to him, he witnessed firsthand the time it takes to cement serious reforms.
“Go and study Singapore, Dubai, Malaysia, or even China. You will see the correlation between longevity in office and transformational change,” he said.
“Anybody who has governed before knows that four years fly by. Those who had four years in office and still begged for another term should explain why they didn’t achieve everything in their first four.”
He added, “When someone produces a prodigal manifesto that even 20 years cannot cover and then tells the people they will do it in four, I’m sorry, something is fundamentally wrong with that thinking.
“Nigerians and Ndi Anambra are not fools. We have memory. We remember even a president in the recent past who made the same one-term promise and turned around to seek re-election.”
On the coming governorship poll, Soludo boasted that his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), remains the dominant force in Anambra and the consensus choice of the people. He pointed to the recent by-election victories in the state as proof that opposition parties have little or no footing in the region.
“Anambra is APGA land. APGA is Anambra. The people themselves are carrying on the campaign. Communities, traditional rulers, and grassroots structures are all with us,” Soludo declared.
The governor said that while every election is a contest and his administration is preparing as though it were the underdog, the outcome is not in doubt if votes are allowed to count.
“We are not taking any candidate for granted. But if INEC and the security agencies do their job, allow votes to be cast, counted, and results uploaded, the people will speak again, just like they did in the by-elections,” he said.
Soludo also addressed the viral video showing members of Anambra’s local security outfit assaulting a female National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member, describing the incident as “despicable” and “outrageous.”
The governor revealed that the incident, which occurred on July 23, had been immediately investigated, with the officers involved arrested, suspended, and placed under probe. He also said the victim had been compensated for damages and provided medical care.
“As a father of four daughters, I was outraged. I cannot imagine that happening to any of them. Nobody deserves such treatment under any circumstance. Those responsible have been arrested, and due process will take its course,” he assured.
He explained that while the state’s security outfit has made Anambra “one of the safest states in Nigeria,” excesses like the July 23 assault must be punished firmly. “We condemn it in the strongest terms. We won’t allow one incident to define the entire outfit, but whenever there are excesses, we will deal with them decisively,” Soludo said.
On governance, Soludo claimed his administration had achieved significant milestones, especially in infrastructure, without borrowing a single naira. He credited this to what he called “extreme prudence, financial discipline, and doing more with less.”
“When I came in and saw the state of public finance, it was unsustainable. We had to put it back on track. If, with my background as an economist and former CBN governor, I cannot manage the finances of a state, then I have failed,” he said.
He clarified that he was not ideologically opposed to borrowing but insisted it must meet strict criteria.
“There is nothing intrinsically wrong with borrowing. But it must be for productive, long-term investment, not recurrent expenditure or frivolities. For us in Anambra, the principle is clear: value for money and doing more with less,” he added.
As Nigeria inches closer to the 2027 general elections, two prominent political figures, Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi, have publicly vowed to serve only one term if elected president.
Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State and Labour Party’s presidential candidate in 2023, has repeatedly affirmed his commitment to a single four-year term.
His rationale is rooted in a philosophy of purposeful leadership over prolonged tenure. In a series of interviews and public statements, Obi argued that effective governance should not be measured by time spent in office but by impact.
Critics have questioned his sincerity, with some suggesting psychiatric evaluation for anyone who believes such pledges. But Obi has stood firm, stating, “They judge me by their own standards… but Peter Obi is not cut from that cloth”.
Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation and ex-governor of Rivers State, echoed a similar sentiment during a July 2025 interview on Channels TV’s Politics Today. Now aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Amaechi declared that he would serve only one term if given the party’s presidential ticket.
His reasoning is tied to Nigeria’s unwritten power-sharing arrangement between the North and South. Amaechi emphasised that honouring this rotation is essential for national stability, recalling how he once led a political revolt against a government that reneged on a similar agreement.
When asked directly if he would step down after four years, Amaechi responded unequivocally: “Of course.” He explained that his commitment is not just personal but also part of a broader coalition agreement that prioritizes building a credible political platform over individual ambition.
Some People Are Saying They Will Spend 1 Term If Voted For, But Even If They Spend 20 Years, They Won’t Scratch Their Manifesto -Soludo
They are playing on people’s intelligence like they are fools. Anybody saying they will spend one term is either deliberately being deceitful… pic.twitter.com/dI1rUFemUk
— ARISE NEWS (@ARISEtv) August 20, 2025
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