Obi Vows to Wage War on Corruption, Promises Nigerians Results from Day One

• Pledges emergency measures on security, agriculture, education, healthcare, electricity

• Cleopas warns candidates against unfulfilled promis-es, says voters should reject party if it fails to deliver

• Dickson describes new Abuja secretariat as party’s ‘Noah’s Ark’ 

• NDC appoints Soludo’s former ally to lead campaign in Anambra

Sunday Aborisade in Abuja and David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, has vowed to wage an uncom-promising war against corruption and ensure trans-parent management of public resources.

Obi declared that Nigerians would begin to see meas-urable improvements in governance from the first day of an NDC administration.

Obi, who is contesting the January 16, 2027 presiden-tial election with former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, as his running mate, also promised emergency interventions in security, agriculture, edu-cation, healthcare, and electricity, insisting that Nige-ria can no longer afford leadership that blames previ-ous administrations for its failures.

He made the commitments in Abuja at a dinner organ-ised to inaugurate the party’s National Presidential Campaign Council, present certificates of return to its candidates, and unveil its new national secretariat at 393 Etang Obuli Crescent, Jabi, Abuja.

The former Anambra State governor said his admin-istration would prioritise problem-solving, accounta-bility, and measurable outcomes rather than political excuses.

He said public officeholders must demonstrate how the country’s resources translated into improved living conditions.

He declared, “The purpose of governance is to solve problems, not to blame people. Kwankwaso and I will not blame anybody. We will create that new Nigeria that is possible.”

Obi accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of failing to translate increased government revenues and borrowing into commensurate improvements in Nigerians’ living conditions.

He said the country needed leadership that would re-spond directly to the challenges confronting citizens, particularly insecurity, hunger, unemployment, pov-erty, and the rising cost of living.

He said, “From my engagements all over Nigeria, Nige-rians are looking for new leadership. And we assure you that we will create that new leadership.”

Obi made the fight against corruption a central pillar of his campaign, promising to ensure that public funds served the interests of Nigerians rather than being di-verted for private benefit.

He stated that corruption had weakened public insti-tutions, undermined development spending, discour-aged productive investment, and contributed to the country’s persistent economic difficulties.

Questioning the management of government revenues and borrowed funds under the Tinubu administration, he demanded greater transparency in public expendi-ture and challenged the federal government to ac-count for its spending and development projects.

He said, “We must stop people from stealing public money. We must use public money for the public good. And that will be seen, it will be shown.”

The NDC candidate insisted that public officials found culpable of corruption must be held accountable in accordance with the law.

He also questioned the implementation of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 budgets, alleging that capital expendi-ture remains below 20 per cent and contractors are experiencing difficulties receiving payments for com-pleted projects.

Obi challenged the federal government to provide Ni-gerians with a detailed account of its expenditure, pro-jects and achievements, stating that citizens deserve tangible improvements rather than repeated explana-tions of the country’s problems.

He stated, “We don’t want you to hire us to tell you about our problem. It’s only in Nigeria that you hire people, and they start reminding you of what hap-pened in the past.

“No, we don’t want you to hire us to tell you about our problem. We want you to hire us to improve from to-day.”

On security, Obi promised a more direct presidential response to kidnapping, violent attacks, and other threats to life and property, insisting that the presi-dent must demonstrate leadership by visiting commu-nities affected by emergencies.

He stated that the country’s security challenges re-quired urgent action and a leadership willing to en-gage directly with affected communities rather than remain distant from the realities confronting victims.

“If they say there is a problem in Jos, he will go to Jos,” he said.

Obi pledged to visit communities affected by insecurity in Plateau, Benue, Zamfara, Sokoto and Borno states, among others, and criticised what he described as ex-cessive foreign travel by the president.

He maintained that Nigeria needed a leader who would devote greater attention to domestic challenges and demonstrate solidarity with citizens facing vio-lence, displacement, and economic hardship.

The NDC candidate also promised emergency measures to revive agriculture, particularly in northern Nigeria, where insecurity had disrupted farming activi-ties and restricted access to productive land.

He said restoring security in farming communities would enable farmers to return to their fields, increase food production, reduce dependence on imports, and strengthen the supply of raw materials to local indus-tries.

“We have vast land in the north. When we secure the north, our farmers must go back and produce what we eat and what we use for our industries,” he said.

He linked agricultural recovery to the broader task of tackling hunger, stabilising food prices, creating em-ployment, and moving the economy away from exces-sive dependence on consumption and borrowing.

Obi also pledged emergency interventions in educa-tion, expressing concern over the number of Nigerian children outside the formal school system.

He stated that the country could not achieve sustaina-ble development without investing in human capital and ensuring that children from disadvantaged back-grounds had access to quality education.

Drawing on his experience as governor of Anambra State, he said education should serve as a pathway to opportunity, regardless of a person’s family back-ground or social connections.

“We must create a society where a child of nobody will be somebody without knowing anybody,” he said.

On healthcare, Obi renewed his promise to establish a functional primary healthcare centre in every ward within two years of assuming office.

He said the proposed intervention would bring basic medical services closer to communities, improve ac-cess to treatment, and reduce preventable deaths.

The former governor also pledged emergency measures to address persistent electricity shortages. He described reliable power supply as indispensable to industrial growth, job creation, and economic recov-ery.

“We will declare emergency on generation, transmis-sion, and distribution,” he said.

Obi said unreliable electricity had increased operating costs for businesses, burdened households, and con-strained the productive capacity of Nigerian industries.

He called for the revival of manufacturing establish-ments across the country, citing the decline of indus-tries in Kano as an example of the economic conse-quences of inadequate infrastructure and weak indus-trial development.

He said Nigeria must transition from an economy driv-en largely by consumption and borrowing to one built on production, investment and job creation.

Small and medium-sized enterprises also featured prominently in Obi’s economic proposals, as he prom-ised improved access to credit, tax relief, and incen-tives to stimulate business growth.

Citing figures indicating that Nigeria had more than 40 million small businesses, he said the sector remained constrained by limited access to bank financing, de-spite its importance to employment and economic ac-tivity.

Obi said an NDC administration would work to ensure that more than 20 per cent of credit went to small businesses. He stated that expanding financing oppor-tunities would enable entrepreneurs to grow their op-erations and employ more Nigerians.

He said, “We will put a mark to it. We will ensure that over 20 per cent of credits will go to small businesses. We will support them.”

He also promised tax holidays and other incentives to support small businesses, while insisting that govern-ment policies must encourage production and enter-prise rather than impose burdens that stifle growth.

The proposed measures, he said, would form part of a broader economic strategy to expand employment opportunities, strengthen local production and im-prove household incomes.

Turning to the 2027 elections, Obi urged political ac-tors to respect the rights of opposition supporters and refrain from intimidating citizens engaged in lawful po-litical activities.

He said political competition should centre on ideas, policies, and the credibility of candidates rather than harassment or the suppression of opposing voices.

He stated, “Humility and civility are not weaknesses. It is a virtue. Good behaviour is not a weakness. It is a virtue.”

The NDC presidential candidate also urged Nigerians to defend the integrity of the electoral process, insist-ing that the forthcoming election should provide citi-zens with an opportunity to determine their political future through the ballot.

“The revolution that is coming is a revolution of the ballot,” he declared.

He called for free, fair and credible elections, main-taining that electoral legitimacy remains fundamental to democratic governance and public confidence in political institutions.

Earlier, NDC National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleo-pas, described the gathering as a significant milestone in the party’s preparations for the 2027 general elec-tion.

Cleopas said it was driven by the determination to of-fer Nigerians a different approach to governance.

He said the party had conducted its primaries within a short period and the dinner provided an opportunity for candidates, party leaders, and other stakeholders to strengthen their commitment to a common political agenda.

He identified the inauguration of the National Presi-dential Campaign Council and the presentation of cer-tificates of return to candidates as major steps in the party’s preparations for the elections.

Cleopas stated, “If we fail to bring water for you in two years, if we open our mouths to say, vote for us again, please, don’t vote for us.

“We are going for a rescue mission; the hope of this country is in NDC.”

National Leader of NDC, Senator Seriake Dickson, de-scribed the new national secretariat as their own “No-ah’s Ark”, presenting the facility as a unifying centre for the party as it prepares for the 2027 elections.

Meanwhile, NDC appointed a former House of Repre-sentatives member, and erstwhile ally of Anambra State Governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, Hon. Ifeanyi Ibezi, as the state’s campaign coordinator for the party.

Ibezi, who had been a strong ally of Soludo’s All Pro-gressives Grand Alliance (APGA), recently dumped the party at a highly attended rally, to join NDC.

His appointment is seen as a move to use his populari-ty to drive votes for NDC and also put APGA in check, especially with Soludo’s growing resentment for Obi.

Ibezi, who had immediately swung into action, called on Anambra residents to rally round Obi and give him a resounding victory, saying merely winning Obi’s home state, Anambra, is not enough.

In a press statement yesterday, Ibezi said though the task was a daunting one, he and his team would move into the 326 political wards, markets, and town union meetings to speak to the people on the need for every Anambra vote to go to Obi and other NDC candidates.

He stated, “Anambra occupies a peculiar place in this campaign. As the home state of our presidential can-didate, His Excellency, Mr. Peter Obi, the expectations are understandably high, and we must rise to meet them.

“Our responsibility goes beyond securing victory; we must work to ensure that Anambra delivers a resound-ing mandate, reflected in the strength and number of valid votes cast for Mr. Peter Obi.

“We must reach those who are undecided, those who feel left behind, those who have grown weary of the system, and those who have withdrawn from the elec-toral process because they no longer believe their votes can make a difference.”

“We must listen to them, earn their confidence, and remind them that the future of our country is too im-portant to be surrendered to apathy. The work has be-gun, and there is no room for complacency.”

Cleopas added, “We must take this campaign to the 21 LGAs, 326 Wards, 5,720 Polling Units, markets, church-es, and every household in Anambra State.

“Our objective is clear: to mobilise the people, secure their participation, and translate their aspirations into votes at the polls. We must also ensure that every val-id vote counts and that the democratic process reflects the will of the people.”