Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has officially declared his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, saying the North will celebrate his leadership if elected.
Speaking during a TV interview on Sunday , Obi dismissed widespread speculations suggesting he may accept a vice-presidential ticket under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) flag bearer, Atiku Abubakar.
“I’m going to contest for the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and I believe I am qualified for it,” Obi said firmly.
The former Anambra State governor also reiterated his membership of the Labour Party, while identifying as an active participant in the opposition coalition recently adopted by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
“I remain a member of the Labour Party and at the same time part of the coalition that is determined to rescue this country. Our aim is to produce a president with the capacity and compassion to reposition Nigeria,” he added.
On the persistent rumour about a possible Obi-Atiku ticket, the former governor said no such discussion has occurred. “Nobody has ever discussed that with me. People assume so many things. The matter of me being a running mate to anyone has never been on the table,” he said.
Addressing issues of insecurity and underdevelopment in Northern Nigeria, Obi appealed to the region’s voters to give him their mandate in 2027, assuring them of transformational leadership that would unlock the North’s economic and human potential.
According to Obi, the 19 northern states house Nigeria’s greatest untapped assets, especially in agriculture and population, but these remain underutilised due to chronic insecurity.
“If I am president, the North will celebrate me,” he said confidently. “The biggest asset of this country is in the North — the uncultivated arable lands, the population.
The criminality we face in the North today, I will deal with it. I have an idea of the problem, and I know what needs to be done.”
He criticised previous election decisions that, in his view, prioritized sentiments over competence.
“We have voted for incompetence, we’ve voted for tribe, and we’ve voted for religion. Let’s vote for competence,” Obi urged.
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