NDC chieftain tackles Kalu over Obi’s four-year presidency proposal

By Anayo Okoli ENUGU — A chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Barrister Peter Agubuzu, has faulted the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, over his criticism of a proposal for the South-East to accept a single four-year presidential term. Agubuzu described Kalu’s remarks as misplaced, urging him to focus on addressing the economic hardship and rising cost of living confronting Nigerians rather than dwelling on how long the South-East might wait to produce a President.

Kalu had reportedly criticised South-East stakeholders advocating a single four-year presidential term for the region, an arrangement attributed to the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi. Speaking at an All Progressives Congress (APC) women’s rally in Enugu on Saturday, the Deputy Speaker reportedly said the Igbo could not afford to wait 60 years to produce a President who would serve for only four years.

Reacting, Agubuzu, a senior lawyer, said the immediate concern of Nigerians was the worsening economic situation and the need for leadership capable of addressing the country’s challenges. He argued that Obi’s proposal was driven by the need to transform Nigeria’s economy from consumption to production and lift millions of citizens out of poverty. “While Nigerians across the country are chanting ‘Tinubu Must Go’ because of the economic hardship they are experiencing and their fear of a worsening economic crisis if Tinubu is re-elected, our brother, the Deputy Speaker, is talking about 60 years.

“He forgot that Obi’s primary objective is to transform Nigeria from consumption to production to lift millions out of poverty. This is why Nigerians are chanting Tinubu Must Go,” Agubuzu said. He maintained that the major concern of Obi was how to address the country’s economic difficulties and restore hope to millions of Nigerians struggling with the rising cost of living.

“What Nigerians are saying is straightforward: Peter Obi should come and salvage the country from the impending economic disaster they fear will follow if President Tinubu is re-elected. “Nigerians are worried about their survival, their livelihoods and the future of their children. That is the urgent issue before us, not a speculative debate about waiting 60 years for an Igbo President,” he said.

The NDC chieftain further argued that discussions about a single presidential term should be considered within the broader context of national unity, equity and political inclusion. He urged political leaders to pay greater attention to the concerns of ordinary Nigerians and focus on practical solutions to the country’s economic challenges rather than allow debates over regional claims to the presidency to overshadow demands for effective leadership.