Peter Obi declares 2027 presidential ambition, to serve only one term
Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, has indicated that he will run for president in 2027.
Obi said that if elected, he will serve a single four-year term.
He made the announcement on Sunday night while participating in a live session on X Spaces, where he fielded questions from followers in Nigeria and abroad.
Obi’s spokesman, Ibrahim Umar of the Peter Obi Media Reach, denied reports of a possible combined ticket with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in a statement posted on Monday.
He did, however, confess that he is open to coalition negotiations as long as they are focused on addressing Nigeria’s basic problems.
“If the coalition is not about stopping the killings in Benue and Zamfara, how to revive our economy, make our industries productive, and put food on Nigerians’ tables…” Count me out. Nigeria is currently at war. “We need to take action,” Obi remarked.
He also pledged to stabilise Nigeria within two years of his presidency and invited Nigerians to join him in a campaign to save the country.
“Within two years of becoming office, I intend to bring stability to Nigeria. Nigerian leaders should meet in Nigeria to fix the country, he said.
Speaking about the Labour Party crisis, Obi indicated that attempts were underway to acquire the Independent National Electoral Commission’s recognition of the Nenadi Usman-led faction in accordance with the Supreme Court’s decision.
On power rotation, Obi declared, “I believe in the rotation of governments between the North and South. “As governor of Anambra, I put it into action.”
Commenting on President Bola Tinubu’s reported vacation to St. Lucia, Obi criticised the President’s domestic absence, stating, “St Lucia is around the size of Nigeria’s tenth largest city, Ilorin. Since taking office in 2023, President Tinubu has not slept a night in any Nigerian state other than Lagos. PBAT will stay in St Lucia for ten days.”
Regarding his 2027 goals, Obi stated that they would be nonviolent and transparent.
He said, “We’ll do things differently in 2027. We shall take a nonviolent approach and insist on doing the right thing before the results are announced in Abuja. Our votes in 2027 will count, and we will make certain they do.”
He set three priorities for his first 100 days in office: security, education, and poverty alleviation.
“My family will not become involved in corruption. Funds would be directed to crucial important sectors,” he stated.
Obi committed to strengthen party opposition and put a halt to party swapping by elected officials.
“There will be no defection of elected officials to other parties when I am in charge,” claimed the incumbent.
He chastised the present administration for mismatched priorities, adding, “Imagine in this country, people are dying in Benue, Borno, and other parts of the country, while our leaders are commissioning bus stops and holidaying.”
He advocated for responsible government and integrity.
“To restore order in government, I will prioritise security, education, and lifting people out of poverty. To accomplish this, decrease the cost of governance and combat corruption from the start.
“My past speaks volumes for me. Wherever there was an issue in Anambra State, I was present physically. Those who want to serve must be willing to risk their lives for the development of Nigerians.
Nobody takes you seriously unless you have a stable government.”