Drop 2027 Re-election Bid, Obi Urges Tinubu

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has asked President Bola Tinubu to drop his ambition for a second term, saying Nigeria needs a leader with the energy and capacity to address its growing challenges

Obi said the country could no longer afford leadership that, in his view, lacked the strength and commitment required to tackle poverty, hunger, unemployment, insecurity and other problems facing Nigerians.

He spoke on Friday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, during the commissioning of the NDC campaign office and secretariat, where he criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government over the country’s economic and social conditions.

He said millions of Nigerians were struggling to feed, while poor access to healthcare, education, electricity and employment had continued to affect their standard of living.

“Today, we have a country that produces the highest number of poor people in the world. Today, we have a country where our people are hungry. Nigerians don’t know where the next meal will come from,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor expressed concern that some Nigerians were turning to religious and spiritual centres for help because of inadequate healthcare services.

He also blamed the poor state of public schools and limited job opportunities for the difficulties facing young people.

Obi said the NDC was offering Nigerians a different approach to governance, with a focus on national unity, security, production, accountability and job creation.

“We are telling you that NDC is coming to build a new Nigeria that is possible. We want to move Nigeria from consumption to production. We will start by uniting the country,” he said.

He promised that an NDC government would tackle insecurity, strengthen public institutions and ensure that Nigerians, regardless of their ethnic or regional backgrounds, enjoyed equal opportunities.

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On education, Obi promised to work with state governments to provide more classrooms and make basic education free and accessible at the primary and secondary levels.

He also pledged to improve electricity supply by increasing generation, transmission and distribution to at least 10,000 megawatts, compared with what he described as the current output of about 4,000 megawatts.

The NDC candidate said his administration would support industries and small businesses to create jobs, particularly for young people.

He also proposed the development of seaports in the South-South, including Warri, Port Harcourt, Bayelsa and Calabar, alongside improved road networks to boost trade and economic activities in the region.

On the country’s borrowing, Obi challenged Tinubu to explain how loans obtained by the Federal Government had been spent and what benefits Nigerians had received.

He also criticised the President over what he described as inadequate engagement with Bayelsa State, despite the state’s contribution to the country’s oil revenue.

Obi said the people of the Niger Delta deserved greater attention from the Federal Government and should benefit from the resources generated from their region.

He further criticised the President’s foreign travels, promising that his own international trips, if elected, would serve Nigeria’s interests and that Nigerians would be kept informed of his activities.

Making a direct appeal for a change of leadership, Obi said: “The man is tired. He needs to go home. Tinubu must go and rest. We want him to go and rest.”

Earlier, the founder of the NDC and Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Henry Seriake Dickson, urged Bayelsans to support Obi and other candidates of the party in the 2027 general elections.

Dickson spoke during the homecoming event organised for Obi and the commissioning of the party’s secretariat in Yenagoa.

The former Bayelsa governor accused the APC of failing to fulfil its promises to Nigerians and criticised what he described as the poor treatment of some people who had served in government.

He urged party members to take the NDC’s campaign to communities across the state and mobilise support for its candidates.

Dickson, who is seeking re-election to the Senate, also warned supporters against violence and intimidation during the electioneering period.

He said the party believed elections should be won through votes rather than the use of security personnel to intimidate voters.

“We don’t do politics with violence. No weapon, no bullet. Overwhelm them with the sheer force in your community. Vote and you declare and you follow up,” he told supporters.

Dickson said he had known and worked with Obi for about 25 years, describing their relationship as one built on long-standing political cooperation.

He urged Bayelsans to listen to Obi and support the party, adding that he would join the mobilisation efforts across communities in the state.