The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in Nigeria’s 2023 election, Peter Obi, has said that he is prepared to run again in 2027 and would serve only a single four-year term if elected. He made this clear while speaking with his supporters during a live conversation on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday night.
According to a statement from Ibrahim Umar, spokesman for the Peter Obi Media Reach (POMR), the former Anambra State governor made it clear that his focus is not on personal ambition but on rescuing Nigeria from its current state. He also noted that there was no truth to reports claiming he had agreed to run on a joint ticket with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Obi said: “I have always attended all meetings with the coalition. My belief is that we will come to a stage where we will make necessary sacrifices to salvage the nation.
“We will adopt a party and we are hopeful that other parties will work with us. Everybody is free to pick up any party of choice and engage in politics until we are ready with the choice of political party.
“If the coalition is not about stopping the killings in Benue, Zamfara, how to revive our economy, how to make our industries productive, how to put food on the tables of Nigerians… Count me out. Nigeria is currently at war, we need to do something about it.
“If there is any form of agreement that will restrict me to four years in office, I will comply with the agreement and be ready to leave office by May 28, 2031.’’
He also urged Nigerians to see the need to rescue this country with him, saying “I will bring stability in Nigeria within two years in office. Leaders of Nigeria should sit down in Nigeria and fix Nigeria.’’
While noting that he had not joined in any form of discussion on joint tickets, including with Atiku, Obi said: “We are still in the right part of LP and still pursuing the recognition of our leadership in LP by INEC.”
Observing that Nigeria was currently at war and that there was need to do something about it, Obi argued that the more the country was secured, the more the farmers would go to their farms, assuring that “we will secure the country.”
On the situation in the Labour Party, Obi explained that he and several party leaders were working around the clock to get INEC to endorse the Nenadi-Usman-led Labour Party, based on the Supreme Court ruling.
On the issue of rotation of the Presidency between the north and the south, Obi said: “I believe in the rotation of government between north and south. I implemented it in Anambra as a governor.”
Answering questions on President Tinubu’s visit to St Lucia, Obi noted that “in two years, Tinubu has not spent one night in any state in Nigeria, apart from Lagos, yet he is going to spend eight nights in St Lucia, a place smaller than Ajegunle.
“St Lucia is about the size of the 10th largest city of Nigeria, Ilorin. President Tinubu has never slept a night in any state of Nigeria outside Lagos, since assumption of office in 2023. PBAT to stay in St Lucia for 10 days.’’
On his preparation for the election, the former LP presidential candidate remarked: “We will do things differently in 2027. We will follow a non-violent approach and insist that the right thing be done before announcement of results in Abuja.
Our votes in 2027 will count; we’ll ensure they count
“Three things to follow up with in the first 100 days… prioritise security, education and poverty eradication; cut costs and shun corruption. My family will not be involved in corruption. Funds to be channelled into key critical sectors.
“My Presidency will ensure there is a strong opposition in party politics. There will be no defection of elected officials to other parties when I am in charge.
“Imagine in this country, people are dying in Benue, Borno, [and other parts of the country], and our leaders are commissioning bus stops and holidaying.
“To bring order in governance, I will prioritise security, education and pulling people out of poverty. To do this is by cutting the cost of governance and fighting corruption from day one.
“My past speaks loudly for me. Wherever there was an issue in Anambra State, I was there physically. Anybody who wants to serve should be ready to put even his/her life on the line for the lives of Nigerians. Nobody abroad takes you seriously if you don’t have a stable government.”
