“Stop Making the Commitment of I’ll Do 4 Years, Nobody Believes You” — El-Rufai Tells Obi, Amaechi

Former Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, has dismissed the recent wave of one-term pledges by presidential aspirants in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), saying such promises are not believable.

Speaking on Channels Television’s *Politics Today* on Sunday, El-Rufai cautioned aspirants against what he described as empty political rhetoric.

“Stop making the commitment of ‘I’ll do four years.’ Nobody believes you,” he said.

The ADC, which is emerging as a coalition platform for opposition figures ahead of the 2027 elections, has seen its leading aspirants vow to serve only a single four-year term if elected president. Peter Obi, the 2023 Labour Party candidate who was granted a special waiver to contest under the ADC coalition, has repeatedly emphasized that his four-year pledge is “sacrosanct,” arguing that true leadership does not require extended tenure. Similarly, Rotimi Amaechi, former Minister of Transportation, has committed to a one-term presidency, framing it as a way to ensure accountability and smooth political transition.

El-Rufai, however, cast doubt on the sincerity of such vows, insisting that Nigerians are unlikely to trust the pledges after years of similar unfulfilled promises from politicians. While he did not question the personal integrity of individual aspirants, he stressed that history has shown such declarations often collapse under the weight of political realities once candidates assume office.