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From Adesuwa Tsan, Abuja
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to choose their next president on the strength of the candidate’s capacity to tackle poverty and insecurity, saying neither ethnicity nor religion shields citizens from the country’s hardship.
Speaking on Sunday during a global digital town hall attended by Nigerians at home and abroad, Obi said no tribe or religious group buys bread or fuel at a lower price, while insecurity affects every part of the country.
“Our country needs unity. At present, we are not united. We are divided along ethnic and religious lines, yet, to the best of my knowledge, no tribe buys bread at a lower price, and no tribe buys fuel at a lower price.
“Similarly, no religion buys bread or fuel at a lower price. The poverty affecting our country today is widespread across the entire nation.
“No tribe enjoys greater security than another. Insecurity affects every part of the country,” he said.
The former governor said these shared challenges should compel voters to place the ability to improve their lives and secure their communities above ethnic and religious loyalties in the 2027 presidential election.
He called for leadership capable of uniting Nigerians and ensuring that security agencies have the equipment, logistics and institutional support required to protect citizens.
“We have security agencies, and they must function effectively. We must provide them with the logistics they need to perform their duties and ensure that we stand by them,” Obi said.
He also stressed that the welfare of security personnel must extend to their families, particularly when officers become casualties in the line of duty.
“We must make certain that they are properly equipped and that their families are cared for if anything happens to them or they become unavailable. We need a president who will lead from the front,” he said.
On the election, Obi urged Nigerians to resist financial inducement and intimidation, saying citizens must take an active role in protecting the electoral process.
He warned that money deployed for vote buying could otherwise help address the same problems confronting voters.
“If you accept money from them, that is money they would otherwise have spent on security, hospitals, and education,” he said.
Obi urged voters to remain at polling units until their ballots were counted and insist that every vote cast counts, stressing that the success of political change would depend largely on their vigilance.
He disclosed that his campaign was expanding its network of polling agents across the country and would work with other political parties and stakeholders to promote credible elections.
The NDC candidate also charged supporters to intensify grassroots mobilisation and ensure adequate deployment of polling agents nationwide to safeguard votes against manipulation.
The town hall, streamed on platforms including Zoom and YouTube, formed part of Obi’s mobilisation activities ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
