2027 countdown: Obi pledges to unite Nigeria, tackle insecurity, poverty
• No Nigerian should remain in IDP camp if I become President • We’ll hunt down kidnappers, ensure safe return of displaced persons — Obi • Every voter must protect, monitor and ensure transmission of votes •Don’t allow politics to worsen insecurity, Gbong Gwom Jos warns
By Golok Nanmwa
JOS — Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, has pledged to unite Nigeria, tackle insecurity and lift millions of citizens out of poverty if elected President in 2027.
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Obi, who spoke at a town hall meeting with supporters in Jos, Plateau State, on Tuesday, said national unity, security, economic recovery and accountable leadership would be the priorities of his administration.
“Our number one commitment is to unite the Federal Republic of Nigeria because today we have no unity. We are divided along tribal and religious lines. That should not be. We are Nigerians,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor identified security as another major priority, promising to end the killings, kidnappings and displacement of citizens across the country.
“Number two is to secure Nigeria. It is our duty to ensure that Nigerians live in safety, in a country where people are no longer killed daily.
“I assure you that no mother will continue to cry over the loss of her children. No woman should experience the pain of losing her husband, and no father should suffer the agony of losing his wife,” he said.
On internally displaced persons, IDPs, Obi declared that his administration would prioritise their safe return to their ancestral communities.
“If any Nigerian remains in an Internally Displaced Persons camp, we have failed. Once one Nigerian is in an IDP camp, the entire Nigeria is in an IDP camp. People must return to their homes,” he said.
He vowed that kidnappers and other criminal elements would face decisive action.
“Nobody will kidnap two children and disappear into the bush. If you kidnap children and go into the bush, you will not be alone there. We will come after you,” he warned.
Obi, who recalled visiting troubled communities in Bokkos, Barkin Ladi and Mangu local government areas of Plateau State, said the plight of victims of violence informed his presidential ambition.
“If I have one person in an IDP camp, it means we are all in an IDP camp. I am competing because I want to know how we talk to that mother whose child was killed, that husband who lost a wife and that woman who lost a husband. Who is going to listen to their cries?” he asked.
He said the town hall engagements were designed to make leadership demand-driven by allowing citizens to articulate their needs rather than merely listening to campaign promises.
“When you want to serve, you must listen to the people. When we come for campaigns, we only talk and we don’t listen to the people. We have decided that leadership must be demand-driven,” he said.
On the 2027 elections, Obi urged Nigerians to take responsibility for protecting their votes, insisting that every voter must remain at the polling unit until the results were properly recorded and transmitted.
“In the next election, every voter is an agent. Don’t vote and go home. Take that day as the one day you are giving to Nigeria as a patriotic Nigerian.
“Prepare yourself with your breakfast, lunch and dinner, and remain there. Your vote must be counted, recorded and transmitted. Nobody should give you any excuse. It is your vote, and we want this election to be about the future of Nigeria,” he said.
Production, jobs, education, healthcare
Outlining his economic agenda, Obi said Nigeria must move from a consumption-driven to a production-based economy, arguing that increased local production would generate employment and improve living standards.
“Our determination is to unite Nigeria, secure Nigeria and pull people out of poverty. That is why we said we are going to move Nigeria from consumption to production,” he said.
He lamented that insecurity had prevented farmers from accessing their farms and contributed to the collapse of businesses in Plateau State.
On financing small businesses, he promised to ensure that more bank credit was made available to entrepreneurs to expand their businesses and create jobs.
“I know what it means to access funding. I have been a director and chairman of a financial institution, and I understand how banks operate.
“We will ensure that a portion of credit available in the banking sector goes to small businesses to enable them to grow and create jobs,” he said.
Obi also promised to fight corruption and ensure that public resources served the interests of citizens.
“I have managed public money, so when I say I am going to fight corruption, I know what I am talking about.
“I will fight corruption. Public money must be used for public good. Today, public money is wrongly being used, and that must change,” he stated.
On education, he expressed concern that Nigeria had about 18 million out-of-school children, promising investment in classrooms, teachers and functional schools.
“We want our children to go back to school. We want our schools to work. The more educated you are as a nation, the more developed you become,” he said.
He also pledged to strengthen primary healthcare centres to reduce maternal and infant mortality, lamenting that many communities lacked functional hospitals.
“The foundation of access to healthcare is primary healthcare. We must strengthen our primary healthcare centres and ensure that every community has access to quality medical services,” he said.
The NDC candidate further promised a government that would protect vulnerable citizens, including poor people, elderly Nigerians and persons living with disabilities.
Earlier, during a courtesy visit to the Plateau State Traditional Council, the Gbong Gwom Jos, Da Jacob Gyang Buba, urged politicians and Nigerians not to allow electioneering activities to aggravate insecurity.
“We want to appeal to all politicians and all Nigerians that we should not allow politics to worsen our situation. We already have insecurity, and we must be determined to live with each other in peace and with respect for one another,” the traditional ruler said.
He prayed for divine guidance in the emergence of a leader capable of governing the country effectively and urged politicians to promote peace throughout the electioneering period.
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