By Harry Awurumibe, Editor, Abuja Bureau
The presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC), Peter Obi, has reiterated his promise of serving a single term as Nigeria’s president, fight corruption and insecurity head long and pay subsidy in agriculture to ensure national football security.
Obi made this commitment in an exclusive sit-down interview with Arise News television station’s anchor, Ojy Okpe, while taking questions on the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking in the pre-recorded interview, Obi answered questions on various issues concerning the upcoming 2027 presidential election, as well as some of his past utterances and political choices.
Prompt News reports that some of the key areas that caught public attention in the interview are when Obi was asked about his promise to serve one term of four years if elected the next President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria next year, he said: “I will not spend one extra day. Four years is enough to engender change and I did it as Governor of Anambra State. What is required is the selection of priorities, appointing qualified and credible people, and working with them as a team.”
Asked about his relationship with the Northern Nigeria, he answered: “I will assure them that I’m committed to their future by tapping into the huge arable land that has remained uncultivated, and turn the teeming almajiris into productive life in the farms, making them feed the nation and provide for industries and exports.”
On the vexed issue of ravaging insecurity in Nigeria, Obi said: “I will be effectively in charge and my government will not be reactive. I will lead the fight against terrorism and criminality and will commit the security agencies to flush out criminals wherever they are hiding.
“There’s modern technology that can be deployed to know where they are and to flush them out. I did it as Governor and Evans, the billionaire kidnapper, confirmed that they ran away on account of that.”
On the 1966 military coup which killed prominent Northern leaders, the former Anambra state governor stated clearly that: “Mistakes were made. We should not continue to dwell on that. We must move on by showing love and unity. It happened in Rwanda and they overcame it, and look at where they are today. My presidency will unite Nigeria because I believe in one Nigeria.”
On leadership deficit in Nigeria, Obi said: “I will be in charge of my government and I will not run government by proxy. I will be answerable to the people.”
On the temptations of embarking on new projects, especially gigantic new road projects on assumption of office as previous governments did, Obi replied: “We will not build new roads until we fix the existing ones.”
On frequent vacation overseas witnessed in recent time by Nigerian Presidents, Obi said: “I will spend my vacation in Nigeria, even if it means going to conflict zones.”
On the possibility of stepping down for Atiku Abubakar if the Coalition of Opposition Political Parties are pushing, the NDC presidential candidate said: “We have gone past that stage. It’s not about me but about the parties coming together, like in a corporation, to sit down and plan how to cooperate to win the election.”
On why he accepted the vice-presidential ticket in 2023 and has refused to accept it now, he said: “That’s in the past. Those who think about yesterday and today will miss tomorrow.”
On those who said they are prepared to die to defend their votes, he answered: “I encourage them to defend their votes and I’m prepared to die with them if that becomes necessary.”
On how to check vote manipulation, Obi said: “I won’t set up a parallel INEC but will make sure that in every polling unit we have a system that transmits results in real time to our Situation Room.”
On armed thugs in 2023, he said: “What happened was that we believed INEC. We trusted them because they promised to do the right things but instead worked for our opponents.”
On the topical issue of
subsidy on petroleum products, the astute businessman said: “I will first remove the corruption in the supply chain to see if truly there is subsidy.”
On what he will do on the first day in office if elected the next President of Nigeria in 2027, Obi unequivocally said: “I will appoint competent people and give decisive instructions and ensure consultation with stakeholders in key areas to be tackled.
“I will not sit in Abuja but will be at the forefront, visiting areas of conflict and discussing with the people affected on the best ways to resolve the conflict.”
“I want to build a new Nigeria that is possible.”
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