Obi Challenges Presidential Rivals to Face Nigerians, Defend Records

*Marshals out manifesto for six political zones in Nigeria 

*Pledges to Run campaign devoid of ethnicity, religion

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has challenged all presidential candidates in the 2027 election to come before Nigerians, defend their records and subject their policies and leadership credentials to public scrutiny, declaring that any aspirant unwilling to engage directly with citizens lacks the capacity to govern the country.

Obi who spoke to journalists during a world press conference in his home in Onitsha, Anambra State, also gave blow by blow account of how he will develop the country, including his areas of concentration in the various regions of the country.
He stressed that no candidate should hide behind the “high walls of power” or send proxies and surrogates to the hustings while expecting Nigerians to entrust them with the leadership of the country.

The former Anambra State governor said the 2027 election presented Nigerians with a defining opportunity to assess the records, ideas, character and plans of those seeking to lead the country at a time of grave economic, security and social challenges.
He said he was entering the presidential contest with the firm conviction that “Nigeria can work, and Nigeria must work,” stressing that the country had the people, resources, talent, enterprise and market needed to overcome its current difficulties.

Obi said Nigeria was confronted by several serious challenges, including widespread poverty, food insecurity, insecurity, unemployment, weak infrastructure, unreliable power supply and the high cost of doing business.
Citing available economic and humanitarian data, he said more than 140 million Nigerians were living at or below the national poverty line, while millions more would require food assistance during the 2026 lean season.

He added that millions of Nigerians remained internally displaced as a result of conflict and insecurity, while millions of young people entered the labour market every year without adequate opportunities for productive employment.
According to him, leadership must be measured by results and not by rhetoric.

“My successful private-sector experience, studies in institutions of repute on policy and business matters, and my service as Governor of Anambra State have shaped my understanding of public leadership.
“Government must manage resources responsibly, set clear priorities, and measure the outcomes of its decisions. Public office is not a reward; it is a responsibility to the people,” he said.

Obi said his administration in Anambra State prioritised education, healthcare, infrastructure, fiscal discipline and institutional capacity, while acknowledging that the record was not perfect.
He urged Nigerians to assess the record for themselves and compare it with the experience of his running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso.

According to him, Kwankwaso brought a different but complementary governing experience, having focused on education, technical training, scholarships, infrastructure and human-capital development during his tenure as governor of Kano State.

“Our experiences are different, but our conclusion is the same: Nigeria must invest in its people and manage public resources with discipline,” Obi said.

On the economy, the presidential candidate said Nigeria needed to move beyond reactive reforms and focus on whether ordinary Nigerians were actually better off.

Obi promised that, if elected, his administration would place production, investment, enterprise and human capital at the centre of economic management.

He said agricultural productivity would be improved through better security for farming communities, expanded irrigation, improved rural roads and storage facilities, and stronger links between farmers, finance and markets.

He also promised to strengthen manufacturing and agro-processing to enable Nigeria to export more finished products and derive greater value from its natural resources.

The former Anambra governor said his government would create a business environment that allowed entrepreneurs to invest, hire and grow without unnecessary regulatory and infrastructure barriers.

He further pledged to manage public finances responsibly, insisting that every naira spent by government must have a clear purpose while major public investments must produce measurable outcomes.

“The goal is not growth for its own sake, but an economy that produces more, employs more people, creates wealth, and improves living standards,” he said.

On security, Obi said no nation could prosper when its citizens could not live, farm, travel or conduct business safely.

He proposed improved intelligence gathering and coordination among security agencies, stronger policing and border management, and greater use of technology to combat insecurity.

He also advocated the decentralisation of security management, while insisting that strong coordination among the different levels of government must be maintained.

Obi said the security strategy must go beyond military and policing responses to address the social and economic conditions that make vulnerable young people susceptible to criminal recruitment.

“Farmers cannot produce food if they cannot reach their farms safely. Children lose the chance to learn when they cannot attend school safely. Businesses cannot create jobs when they cannot move goods securely,” he said.

The Labour Party candidate also pledged to transform Nigeria from a consumption-driven economy into a production-based one.

He described the country’s large and growing population as an enormous economic opportunity that could be harnessed through productive employment, industrialisation and investment.

“Nigeria cannot import its way to prosperity. We will produce more of what we consume, process more of what we produce, and compete more effectively in global markets,” he declared.

He promised to improve basic education, strengthen universities and expand technical and vocational training.

“Nigeria needs doctors, engineers, scientists, and lawyers, as well as technicians, mechanics, builders, nurses, farmers, programmers, manufacturers, artisans, and entrepreneurs,” he said.

He also pledged to strengthen the country’s healthcare system, improve maternal and child health, expand access to essential medicines and equip healthcare workers to deliver effective services.

According to him, a productive economy could not be built around an unhealthy population.

Obi further outlined a regional economic strategy aimed at ensuring that every part of the country contributed to and benefited from national development.

He said the North-West could expand agriculture, livestock, irrigation, agro-processing and manufacturing, while the North-East could accelerate reconstruction, restore livelihoods and expand agriculture, education, enterprise and regional trade.

He said the North-Central could strengthen food production and processing while responsibly developing its mineral resources.

For the South-West, he identified manufacturing, technology, finance, trade and the creative economy as major areas for expansion.

He said the South-East could build on its entrepreneurial and industrial strengths through improved infrastructure, connectivity and access to investment.

Obi said the South-South could derive greater value from oil and gas while expanding maritime services, fisheries, agriculture and other productive sectors, with stronger environmental protection.

He said the Federal Capital Territory should demonstrate what efficient urban planning, transportation, housing, sanitation, security and public services could achieve.

“Every region must produce. Every region must contribute. Every region must benefit,” he declared.

Obi also promised to establish a different standard of governance by cutting wasteful expenditure while protecting investments capable of creating jobs and expanding productive capacity.

He said government should invest in education, healthcare, security and infrastructure because they were foundations for future prosperity and not expenses to be deferred.

He urged Nigerians to examine the records and proposals of every candidate, ask difficult questions and demand evidence behind campaign promises.

According to him, political competition should be based on ideas rather than hatred, violence, ethnicity or religion.

He said Nigerians must reject campaigns driven by propaganda, ethnic sentiments, religious divisions, elitism and cronyism.

Obi argued that genuine leadership required presence, empathy and an understanding of the difficulties confronting Nigerians, particularly communities affected by banditry, terrorism, criminality and flooding.

“True leadership requires presence and empathy. No one can lead from the front without standing with communities across Nigeria devastated by banditry, criminality, terrorism, and flooding.

“You cannot truly lead people you are unwilling to visit, listen to, and understand,” he said.

He assured Nigerians that he and his running mate would personally travel across the country to present their message, listen to citizens and respond to their concerns.

“Today, I make this clear commitment: my running mate and I will take our message directly to Nigerians. We will listen to them, understand their concerns, and engage them openly. We will not delegate this duty to proxies,” Obi said.

Obi said his campaign would focus on uniting Nigeria, securing the country, building an inclusive economy and moving the nation from consumption to production.