ADC governorship candidate John Chuma Nwosu swears to serve one term if elected, citing Anambra’s rotation principle. His oath aims to balance regional equity and win cross-zone support
By Chukwujekwu Ilozue
ADC’s governorship candidate, Mr. John Chuma Nwosu, swears a court affidavit to serve one term of four years if elected governor of Anambra State on 8 November 2025.
The decision, he explained, was guided by the rotation principle that has quietly shaped Anambra’s governorship succession since 1999.
Nwosu’s bold and unusual move is an unmistakable nod to the delicate political balance among the state’s three senatorial zones — Anambra North, Central, and South. The affidavit, he said, is an acknowledgement of the unwritten but widely respected understanding that the office of governor should rotate among these zones “in the spirit of equity, fairness, and good conscience.”
Justification for the oath
The ADC flagbearer is from Anambra South, the same zone as the incumbent governor, Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo. If reelected, the governor’s tenure, by the rotational logic, is expected to complete the South’s eight-year slot by 2029.
Nwosu’s decision to limit himself to a single term is thus a gesture meant to prevent the South from monopolizing power and to reassure the Central Zone — next in the rotation queue — that their turn will come without delay.
Analysts interpreted the oath as a strategic political statement aimed at broadening Nwosu’s appeal beyond his home zone. By pledging to hand over power after one term, he is seeking to attract votes from Anambra Central, whose leaders have been vocal about reclaiming the governorship in 2029.
It is also a template that Nwosu apparently copied from his hero, Gov Peter Obi, who similarly pledged to serve one term if elected as president in 2027.
The affidavit also serves to position Nwosu as a bridge-builder and honourable politician willing to respect established norms of fairness, even at personal cost, an Awka pundit said.
Political reactions
However, an APGA chieftain who spoke to Enugu Metro said Nwosu “should not think that he can fool anyone with this tactic.” He questioned whether such a commitment can be legally enforceable. “An affidavit,” he noted, “carries moral rather than constitutional weight — it can be broken without legal consequence.”
Others, however, said Nwosu should be given the benefit of doubt “because he is the best candidate and an honourable man.”
“In Anambra politics, where the rotation principle is treated as a sacred pact, the political cost of breaking such a promise could be devastating,” said Chief Joachim Okonkwo, an Owerri-based engineering consultant.
“By taking this oath publicly, Nwosu appears to be leveraging moral symbolism to differentiate himself from more established contenders. It reflects the ADC’s attempt to frame its campaign around integrity and inclusiveness, rather than raw power play,” he said.
Okonkwo promised to return to Awka to vote for Nwosu, who has so far run “the cleanest and only issue-based campaign.”
Will thus do the magic?
In the end, whether the oath translates into votes will depend on how strongly Anambra voters value the principle of rotation as a stabilizing force.
For now, Mr. Nwosu’s gesture has stirred a new dimension in the 2025 race — one that forces every candidate to confront the moral question of whose turn it truly is to lead Anambra State.
