Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has officially declared his intention to run for the 2027 presidential election, promising to serve a single four-year term if elected.
Obi made this known on Sunday during a live session on X Spaces, where he interacted with supporters from within Nigeria and abroad.
In a statement released on Monday by his media aide, Ibrahim Umar, Obi dismissed rumours of a possible joint ticket with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
However, he noted that he remains open to coalition talks, provided they focus on addressing the country’s major challenges.
“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,” Obi stated.
The former Anambra State governor promised to stabilise the country within two years if given the mandate and urged citizens to join his efforts to rescue Nigeria.
“I will bring stability in Nigeria within two years in office. Leaders of Nigeria should sit down in Nigeria and fix Nigeria,” he said.
Speaking on the internal crisis rocking the Labour Party, Obi revealed that steps were being taken to secure the Independent National Electoral Commission’s recognition for the Nenadi Usman-led faction in line with the Supreme Court’s decision.
On the issue of power rotation, Obi expressed support for the system, saying, “I believe in the rotation of government between North and South. I implemented it in Anambra as a governor.”
He also criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over his frequent travels abroad, particularly his reported visit to St. Lucia, describing it as insensitive given the state of insecurity in the country.
“St Lucia is about the size of the 10th largest city in Nigeria, Ilorin. President Tinubu has never spent a night in any Nigerian state outside Lagos since assuming office in 2023. Now, he’s spending 10 days in St Lucia,” Obi said.
Obi further assured that his 2027 campaign would be peaceful and transparent, stating, “We will do things differently in 2027. We will follow a non-violent approach and insist that the right thing is done before results are announced in Abuja. Our votes in 2027 will count, and we will ensure they count.”
He listed security, education, and poverty reduction as his top priorities for the first 100 days in office, promising that his family would not be involved in corruption and that public funds would be directed towards critical sectors.
Obi also vowed to strengthen party opposition and stop elected officials from defecting to other political parties.
“There will be no defection of elected officials to other parties when I am in charge,” he added.
He criticised the current administration for neglecting urgent national issues while focusing on trivial projects.
“Imagine in this country, people are dying in Benue, Borno, and other parts of Nigeria, and our leaders are commissioning bus stops and holidaying,” Obi lamented.
He stressed the need for responsible leadership and integrity in governance.
“To bring order to governance, I will prioritise security, education, and pulling people out of poverty. That means cutting the cost of governance and tackling corruption from day one.
“My past speaks for me. Whenever there was a crisis in Anambra State, I was there physically. Anyone who wants to serve should be ready to put their life on the line for Nigerians. Nobody abroad takes you seriously if you don’t have a stable government,” Obi concluded.
