The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to reject ethnic and religious divisions, arguing that such divisions have done little to protect citizens from poverty, insecurity and economic hardship.
Obi spoke during a Vote4Obi Zoom meeting monitored by SaharaReporters on Sunday.
The former Anambra State governor said the challenges facing Nigerians cut across ethnic and religious boundaries and should encourage citizens to focus on electing leaders capable of addressing the country’s problems.
“Today we are not united. We are divided among ethnic and religious lines. And to the best of my knowledge, no tribe buys bread cheaper,” Obi said.
He added that neither food prices nor insecurity discriminate based on a person’s religion or ethnicity.
“The poverty that is in our country today spreads across the whole nation. No tribe is more secure than the other. Insecurity is all over the country,” he said.
Obi said Nigeria needed a president capable of uniting the country while making security a priority.
“So we need a president that will unite us. We need a president that will work tirelessly to secure this country,” he said.
Obi raises concern over kidnapped NYSC graduates
The NDC candidate also expressed concern over the reported abduction of 22 graduates travelling to participate in the National Youth Service Corps programme.
Obi questioned why security agencies had been unable to locate and rescue kidnapping victims despite the availability of modern technology and intelligence capabilities.
He argued that security agencies should make greater use of available technology to identify criminal groups and locate their victims.
“We cannot continue this way,” Obi said.
He also called for improved logistics, equipment and welfare for security personnel, including support for the families of officers who die or become unavailable while serving.
“We must make sure we provide them with the logistics for them to work,” he said.
Obi promises to lead from Nigeria
Obi also said that, if elected, he would prioritise remaining in Nigeria and only travel abroad when necessary for critical engagements that would benefit the country.
“For four years of being in office, everything I’m doing, holidays, everything must be in Nigeria,” he said.
He also urged supporters to remain at their polling units after voting until ballots had been counted, stressing the importance of monitoring the process beyond simply casting a vote.
Yesufu outlines polling-unit strategy
Also speaking during the meeting, activist Aisha Yesufu said preparations were underway to strengthen the campaign’s polling-unit agent and vote-protection structure ahead of the 2027 elections.
Yesufu said the campaign was working with political groups, candidates, technology platforms and support movements to recruit and organise people who would participate in the electoral process at polling-unit level.
She said the objective was to move beyond simply recruiting people for election day and instead build a network of supporters who were committed to the political process and their communities.
Yesufu also said technology and data would play an important role in organising the campaign’s support base.
She mentioned platforms including Smart Ballot and Obedient Connect as part of the wider digital effort to coordinate supporters and polling-unit activities.
According to her, the proposed structure would include polling-unit agents and additional supporters who would assist with monitoring and vote protection.
Yesufu urged the various movements and organisations supporting Obi and Kwankwaso to work together rather than operating independently.
She said the overall objective was to build a coordinated structure capable of monitoring the electoral process across polling units.
Obi and former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso are running on the NDC ticket, with Obi as the presidential candidate and Kwankwaso as his running mate.
