NDC Chieftain, Victor Umeh has defended the proposal for a single four-year presidential term for Southern Nigeria under the National Democratic Congress arrangement, saying the move is necessary to preserve national unity and maintain political balance in the country.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Sunday, May 10, 2026, the senator representing Anambra Central Senatorial District said the principle behind the arrangement was rooted in fairness and recognition of Nigeria’s diversity.
Umeh referenced former South African President Nelson Mandela as an example of a leader who voluntarily left office after serving a single term despite widespread popularity. “Don’t forget that somebody like a nobleman like Nelson Mandela did only four years in South Africa and he left,” he said.
He added, “So, if Peter Obi leaves after four years, he will not be the first person. Mandela did it and he left even when the ovation was still very high for him.”
The senator stated that Nigeria’s political structure requires leaders and political actors to consider regional interests and maintain what he described as a delicate national balance. “So, I think it’s for us to begin to realize our makeup in this country, knowing that Nigeria is a very diverse country where you must respect the rights and interests of other people,” Umeh said.
According to him, any presidential candidate from the South seeking to preserve national unity must recognise the political expectations surrounding rotational leadership.
He said, “Yes, the issue of four years is very critical that anybody who wants to preserve national unity from the south cannot think about staying beyond four years because Tinubu would have done four years by 2027. And in order to preserve national unity, that four years will be the last chance for the south in this very dispensation.”
Umeh also suggested that political parties or candidates who ignore the prevailing arguments for zoning and power rotation could face challenges during future election campaigns: “For those who do not pay attention to this and they ignore it, they will see when we begin the campaign that they will not stand. They cannot stand. You must be fair to others….See More
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