LAGOS AUGUST 22ND NEWSRANGERS)-TWO days after the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, removed the lid, 2027 Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Mr Peter Obi, yesterday, commenced campaigns in Onitsha, his homeland in Anambra State, in style.
Obi, who said Nigeria can work and must work, unveiled his agenda in critical sectors and listed five critical questions that should inform the choice of voters in the election.
“Are Nigerians better off than they were four years ago? Can they afford food, education, and healthcare? Can businesses produce, expand, and create jobs? Can young people find productive work? Can farmers work safely and get their produce to market?These are the measures that matter” he said.
Addressing newsmen at his Onitsha residence to mark the commencement of his campaign, Obi promised that he and his running mate, Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso will defeat insecurity, pull people out of poverty, drastically reduce hunger and the number of out-of-school children, as well as improve education and healthcare and build growth that serves everyone, especially the most vulnerable.
He said that as the campaigns begin, all candidates for the election must be willing to present their credentials, defend their records, and subject their vision to open scrutiny.
“No candidate should hide behind the high walls of power, send proxies or surrogates to the hustings, and expect Nigerians to entrust them with the leadership of the country.
“Every candidate seeking the presidency must have the courage to come before the people, answer their questions, defend their records, and subject their vision to public scrutiny.
“True leadership requires presence and empathy. No one can lead from the front without standing with communities across Nigeria devastated by banditry, criminality, terrorism, and flooding. You cannot truly lead people you are unwilling to visit, listen to, and understand”, he said.
He expressed clear commitment that he and his running mate will take their message directly to Nigerians.
“We will listen to them, understand their concerns, and engage them openly. We will not delegate this duty to proxies. We will answer questions, defend our record and character, and present our plan to rebuild Nigeria.
“Any presidential candidate who lacks the resolve to travel across the country, meet the people, and respond to their questions lacks the capacity to govern it”, he added.
Obi said further: “I commit to commencing the journey of resetting Nigeria by uniting it, securing it on the path of economic and inclusive growth, and moving our country from consumption to production.
“The campaign period gives every citizen an opportunity to join the national conversation. I urge Nigerians to examine each candidate’s record and proposals, ask tough questions, and demand evidence behind every promise.
“We should debate ideas without hatred, compete without violence, and disagree without weakening the bonds that unite us. When Nigerians make their choice, that choice must be respected.
“Democracy does not end on election day. Citizens must continue to demand transparency, accountability, and results from those entrusted with the mandate to govern.
“Nigeria’s challenges are real, but so are its opportunities. We have the people, resources, enterprise, and creativity to build a safer, more productive country. Our task is to turn these possibilities into results. We have the credentials, experience, and record to collaborate with Nigerians on this transformative journey.
“Our journey will be harder if we do not unite as one people and one nation. A united Nigeria, guided by shared purpose and a commitment to fairness, justice, and equity, will make transformation easier, strengthen our institutions, and help us hold our leaders accountable.
“The 2027 election must be guided by capacity, competence, compassion, character, and commitment. Our campaign will focus on the urgent concerns of Nigerians and not on ethnicity or religion. Nigerians must reject and disregard any campaign driven by propaganda, ethnicity, religion, elitism, or cronyism.
“As my team and I travel across the country, we will listen to Nigerians, understand their needs and concerns, and assure them that we have the competence, character, and compassion to lead and reset Nigeria for the benefit of all.”
On the state of the nation, Obi said sustainable development requires more than reactive reform, adding that reform is not the goal, but that better lives are.
According to him, the World Bank’s April 2026 Nigeria development update made it clear that Nigeria’s challenge is how to turn economic reform and stabilisation into improved livelihoods, stronger human capital, wider opportunities, and inclusive growth.
“We will pursue practical reforms that deliver lasting results, combining fiscal discipline with productive investment, as Senator Kwankwaso and I have demonstrated.
Vanguard
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