I can transform Nigeria positively in four years – Peter Obi

Peter Obi
The Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has vowed to transform Nigeria’s trajectory within four years if elected president in 2027.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday, Obi confirmed his intention to contest in the upcoming election, expressing confidence in his ability to lead the nation effectively.

“I am contesting, and I am certain I will be on the ballot. People need to consider who has the capacity and qualifications to lead,” he said.

“I believe I am qualified and capable of the job. I will say it repeatedly: in four years, I can change Nigeria’s path for the better.”

Obi, who ran under the Labour Party banner in 2023, has since aligned himself with an opposition coalition using the African Democratic Congress platform. Despite this, he affirmed his continued membership in the Labour Party and his commitment to working with other opposition leaders to “rescue the country from bad leadership.”

Declining to comment on speculation about joining the Peoples Democratic Party, Obi emphasized that all well-meaning Nigerians must unite to save the country.

He also criticised the preoccupation with political manoeuvring amid widespread poverty, asking, “Why aren’t we talking about the 139 million people living in poverty in this country?” He urged that addressing the plight of the poor should take precedence over partisan politics.

Responding to recent defections of prominent politicians like Enugu Governor Peter Mbah and Bayelsa Governor Douye Diri to the ruling All Progressives Congress, Obi said such moves are based on individual political calculations rather than coercion.

“We are not living in military times where people are forcibly ‘captured.’ Democracy thrives on persuasion, not force,” he stated, describing Mbah as a good friend who must be free to make his own political decisions.