Peter Obi to Baba-Ahmed: I Can Transform, Bring Honour to Nigeria
• Support group says his Anambra record proves Obi’s capacity
•NDC presidential candidate declares Makinde qualified to rule Nigeria
•Oyo governor opens presidential campaign office
•Vows to reset Nigeria
Chuks Okocha, Emmanuel Addeh and Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, yesterday rejected the pessimistic assessment of his former running mate, Dr Datti Baba-Ahmed, about the capacity of the leading contenders to transform Nigeria.
The former Anambra state governor declared that his record in the state demonstrated that he could replicate his achievements at the national level.
Also reacting to Baba-Ahmed’s position, the Peter Obi Movement for Rescue (POMR) said the former vice presidential candidate’s assessment, though reflective of the depth of Nigeria’s problems, failed to take adequate account of Obi’s antecedents.
Besides, the NDC presidential candidate, speaking at the official opening of the presidential campaign office of the candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Governor Seyi Makinde, stated that the Oyo governor remains eminently qualified to lead the country in 2027.
But Obi, who spoke separately in an exclusive interview with Arise News anchor, Ojy Okpe, said Nigeria’s enormous challenges could be overcome through purposeful leadership, institutional reforms and a deliberate focus on critical areas of national development.
Responding to Baba-Ahmed’s reported assertion that none of the major presidential contenders in the 2027 election could fundamentally improve Nigeria, Obi pointed to his experience in Anambra as evidence of his capacity to deliver measurable results.
“I passed in particular areas of development. And I can do the same thing for Nigeria,” Obi said.
He said his administration would pursue a governance agenda centred on national unity, security, justice, law and order, anti-corruption and investment in critical sectors capable of improving the welfare and productivity of Nigerians.
Obi also promised to restore Nigeria’s reputation and rebuild public confidence in government, stressing that leadership must be directed towards producing tangible improvements in the lives of citizens.
“ (If elected) I’ll be able to do quite a number of things that will bring honour, respect to the country,” he maintained.
The former governor, who has consistently advocated a shift from what he describes as a consumption-driven economy to one based on production and investment in human capital, said corruption would remain a major target of his administration.
“You know I will fight corruption,” he declared, while reaffirming his commitment to justice and the rule of law.
He also linked credible elections to the survival and development of the country’s democracy, insisting that electoral malpractice would have no place under his leadership.
“I’m still with the issue of justice. I’m still with the issue of law and order. Of course, what we’re talking about in the election cannot take place under my watch,” Obi said.
He identified national unity as his first priority, arguing that the country is currently too divided and requires deliberate efforts to rebuild cohesion. “The country is not united today,” he said.
His second priority, according to him, would be securing the country from the terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other forms of insecurity that have continued to threaten lives and livelihoods.
Obi listed the prioritisation of critical areas of development as his third major agenda, specifically identifying healthcare, education and poverty reduction as areas requiring urgent national attention.
He further listed “health, education, and pulling people out of poverty” alongside the fight against corruption as areas that would receive sustained attention under his proposed administration.
The former governor’s declaration came as political parties and opposition groups intensify consultations ahead of the 2027 general elections, with possible opposition alliances and the search for a formidable challenger to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) increasingly dominating political discourse.
Obi and Baba-Ahmed had jointly contested the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party (LP) before their political relationship subsequently became strained.
Support Group Backs Obi on Nigeria’s Transformation
Also reacting to Baba-Ahmed’s position, the Peter Obi Movement for Rescue (POMR) said the former vice presidential candidate’s assessment, though reflective of the depth of Nigeria’s problems, failed to take adequate account of Obi’s record in public office.
In a statement issued yesterday by its spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, POMR argued that the severity of Nigeria’s challenges made the election of a leader with proven capacity, character and competence even more urgent.
The group said years of what it described as mismanagement, corruption, waste and poor leadership had weakened institutions and increased hardship across the country. It nevertheless insisted that Nigerians must distinguish between political rhetoric and demonstrated capacity to govern.
According to POMR, Obi’s record as governor of Anambra provided evidence that he could prudently deploy limited public resources to achieve measurable results.
“Peter Obi does not approach Nigeria’s challenges as an experiment. His record in Anambra provides evidence of what he can do with limited resources when public office is treated as a responsibility rather than an opportunity for personal enrichment,” the group said.
POMR credited Obi with fiscal discipline and investments in education, healthcare, human development and infrastructure, arguing that his record remained available for public scrutiny.
It said the real question before Nigerians in 2027 was not whether one individual could “magically rescue” the country, but whether the electorate could choose a leader capable of beginning the process of national recovery.
“The question is whether Nigeria can elect a leader with the character, competence, prudence, and courage to begin the rescue. We believe Peter Obi can—and will,” POMR said.
The group added that Obi’s proposed rescue agenda was not premised on the emergence of a “messiah” who would govern alone, but on building strong institutions, assembling competent Nigerians, confronting corruption, reducing waste and investing in productive sectors.
“Peter Obi has demonstrated that understanding before. The task in 2027 is to allow him to demonstrate it at the national level,” it said.
POMR further maintained that Obi could lead Nigeria’s recovery “not because he claims to be a miracle worker, but because his record shows that he knows how to turn limited resources into measurable results.”
Makinde Opens Campaign Office, Vows to Reset Nigeria
The APM yesterday opened its presidential campaign office in Abuja, with the presidential candidate of the party in the 2027 general election, Governor Seyi Makinde, pledging to reset the country.
Speaking on the occasion, Makinde said the objective of his “Reset Nigeria” agenda was to build a system of government in which public institutions were transparent, leadership accountable and citizens fully aware of how decisions affecting their lives were taken.
“It means that we stop accepting systems that nobody can explain. It means that the government must show its workings. It means that Nigerians must know how decisions are made, how public resources are used and who benefits from them,” he added.
The former governor also dismissed suggestions that his presidential ambition should be discounted because of the strength of established political forces, recalling that he faced similar scepticism before winning the governorship election in Oyo State.
He argued that dismissing his campaign amounted to disregarding the aspirations of millions of Nigerians struggling with rising prices, unemployment and worsening business costs.
“They may discount one candidate. But they cannot discount millions of Nigerians united behind a better future,” Makinde said.
He called on Nigerians, including traders, farmers, workers, business owners and young people, to participate actively in shaping the country’s future and contribute ideas to the ‘Reset Nigeria’ movement.
“This is our country. These are our resources. We count. And together, we will Reset Nigeria,” he stated.
…Insists Petroleum Pricing Shady
At the event, Makinde declared that Nigeria’s crude oil resources must deliver direct and measurable benefits to citizens, insisting that his proposed petrol pricing framework does not represent a return to the controversial fuel subsidy regime.
Makinde said the country must rethink how its crude oil is priced for domestic refining, arguing that Nigerians should not be made to bear costs that disconnect the country’s petroleum wealth from the welfare of its citizens.
He explained that the benefits of Nigeria’s oil wealth should be incorporated into the system from the point at which crude is supplied to local refineries, rather than through what he described as opaque interventions at the petrol pump after costs, inefficiencies and other distortions had accumulated.
“Today, we are not just opening a campaign office. We are opening another door for Nigerians to join the conversation about the future of our country. A conversation about what must change. A conversation about how we can make Nigeria work for every Nigerian. That is what Reset Nigeria is about,” he stated.
Responding to questions over his recent comments on petrol pricing, Makinde stressed that he was not advocating the restoration of the old subsidy regime.
“That is not my position. Let me explain my position very simply with this example. If a community grows food, the people of that community should not have to buy that food as though it travelled halfway around the world before reaching them.
“So why should crude oil supplied to Nigerian refineries be priced as though Nigeria does not produce crude oil? Nigeria’s oil must provide a real and measurable benefit to Nigerians,” he said.
The presidential candidate called for complete transparency across the petroleum value chain, from crude oil production and domestic allocation to refining, transportation, distribution, taxes and retail margins.
According to him, Nigerians should be able to understand how the final pump price of petrol is determined, who receives what portion of the proceeds and where inefficiencies are adding to the cost ultimately paid by consumers.
Makinde said the broader objective of his “Reset Nigeria” agenda was to build a system of government in which public institutions were transparent, leadership accountable and citizens fully aware of how decisions affecting their lives were taken.
Obi: Makinde Qualified to Lead Nigeria
Meanwhile, at the occasion which was attended by opposition figures, the NDC presidential candidate, Obi, declared that Makinde remains abundantly qualified to be president of Nigeria.
He also expressed his readiness to work with any presidential candidate who wins the 2027 election ‘genuinely’.
“We want a Nigeria of unity and inclusion; we have a candidate who is contesting for President today, my dear brother Makinde. Is he qualified to be President? Yes, he is qualified.
“What we are doing today, for us, is not about desperation but we want Nigerians to make their choice. All of us should come together to build a new Nigeria. We can’t continue the way we are going, our people are hungry and poor.
“Whoever wins genuinely from a free, fair, and credible election, we will all work together to save this country from collapse,” Obi said.
The NDC presidential candidate called for unity among politicians, stressing that the politics of bickering and bitterness should be discarded.
“That’s why I’m here to show solidarity and assure you that we are changing the system. We don’t want politics of quarrel, politics of disagreement. Let our quarrel be to feed our people. We want a Nigeria where the child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody,” he added.