Kalu Rejects One-Term Presidency For Igbo, Says South-East Deserves Eight Years

Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, has rejected calls for the South-East to accept a single four-year presidential tenure when power eventually rotates to the region, insisting that the Igbo people deserve the same opportunity of completing eight years in office as other regions.

Kalu criticised some South-East stakeholders advocating a one-term presidency for the region, arguing that the Igbo people should not wait for decades to produce a Nigerian president only to surrender the opportunity after four years.

The Deputy Speaker made his position known on Saturday during a women’s rally organised by the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Enugu State.

He expressed reservations over alleged political agreements and promises concerning the South-East’s quest for the presidency, noting that previous assurances to the region had not always translated into tangible political opportunities.

“Let me say this, that some people are going around telling us that they have made an agreement that Igbos will go for the Presidency for four years.

“Even as Igbos, we have been promised things that never came true. We can’t wait 60 years just to be president for four years.

“Upon the rotation of the presidency to our zone, the Igbo people shall be accorded a complete eight-year tenure, identical to that granted to other regions,” he said.

Kalu’s position comes amid ongoing political conversations over presidential power rotation, equity and the South-East’s quest to produce Nigeria’s president.

Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi, who is now associated with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), had earlier indicated his willingness to serve only one four-year term if elected president.

However, Kalu’s intervention underscores a contrasting position within the South-East political establishment, with the Deputy Speaker insisting that accepting a four-year arrangement would amount to limiting the region’s opportunity compared with other parts of the country.

The disagreement also highlights the broader debate over whether political power rotation should be guided by individual political commitments or an established principle of equitable regional representation.

As political realignments ahead of the 2027 general elections gather momentum, the question of the South-East’s presidential ambition and the conditions under which the region should assume power is likely to remain a significant issue in Nigeria’s political discourse.