…Questions president’s vapacity to govern, alleges 260 days abroad, vows to tackle corruption, insecurity
By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has challenged President Bola Tinubu to relinquish power, alleging that he lacks the energy and competence required to govern Nigeria.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, made the remarks on Thursday at a political summit in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, where he criticised the President over his administration’s performance and alleged reluctance to campaign across all 36 states ahead of the 2027 general election.
The former governor also challenged Tinubu to account for his administration’s achievements in the past three years and explain how funds borrowed by the Federal Government had been utilised.
His criticism followed reports that Tinubu had indicated he might not visit all 36 states during the forthcoming electioneering campaign, citing the need to balance campaign activities with the responsibilities of governance.
Reacting, Obi questioned the President’s capacity to seek another mandate, alleging that Tinubu had spent more than 260 days outside the country but was unwilling to devote 36 days to touring the federation to engage voters.
“I want President Tinubu to come to Abakaliki to tell the people what he has done in the past three years. I want him to come to Abakaliki to tell you what he used the money he has been borrowing to do for the past three years,” Obi said.
He added, “I want him to come to Abakaliki to tell Nigerians what he has used their money to do. He said he will not come for campaign.
“President Tinubu has stayed over 260 days out of Nigeria, yet he cannot spend up to 36 days to go round Nigeria to tell the people what he has been doing for the past three years. We will not do that.
“President Tinubu does not have the competence to run Nigeria. He does not have the energy to run Nigeria. He should pack his things, go home and rest,” he said.
Obi also cautioned against ethnic divisions in the South-East, urging voters in Ebonyi State and other parts of the country to support his presidential ambition on the basis of competence rather than ethnic or regional affiliation.
He insisted that his ambition was driven by his capacity to lead Nigeria and address its socioeconomic challenges, rather than his identity as an Igbo man from the South-East.
“Let nobody divide the South-East. I don’t want the people of Ebonyi to vote for me because I am from the South-East. I don’t want you to vote for me because I am an Igbo person.
“My dear people, I want you to vote for me because I am qualified to be the President of this country. I want you to vote for me because I am the leading candidate,” he said.
Outlining his policy priorities if elected in 2027, Obi pledged to declare emergencies in critical sectors, including national unity, security, education, agriculture, healthcare and the fight against corruption.
On national unity, he said his administration would work to overcome ethnic divisions and ensure that the federal character principle was observed in public appointments.
“We must unite this country. Our pride should not be consideration of employment, this or that. We will operate federal character for all the jobs we have. So, we must unite the country,” he said.
The NDC presidential hopeful also promised to adopt a more aggressive approach to tackling insecurity, particularly kidnapping and the abduction of schoolchildren.
“We will declare emergency in the security of lives and property in Nigeria. We will deal with insecurity decisively. Nobody will be in charge, we will be in charge,” Obi said.
He added that his administration would adequately equip security agencies to protect lives and property and ensure that perpetrators of violent crimes were brought to justice.
On corruption, Obi vowed to strengthen accountability in public finance management, warning that public officials found guilty of embezzling public funds would face prosecution regardless of their status.
“I will fight corruption like nobody has fought it before. Public money must be used for public good. Nobody will steal our money again. If you do it, you will go to jail, starting from the President,” he said.
Obi further pledged to address the country’s education crisis, citing an estimate of more than 18 million children out of school. He said his administration would prioritise efforts to reduce the figure and expand access to education.
On food security, he promised to support farmers, boost agricultural production and create conditions that would enable Nigeria to meet domestic food demand while increasing agricultural exports.
He also proposed establishing functional healthcare facilities in every political ward across the country, arguing that Nigeria possessed sufficient resources to improve access to basic medical services.
The former governor said the proposed interventions would form part of a comprehensive strategy to address poverty, hunger, unemployment, insecurity and other challenges confronting the country.
The 2027 general election is expected to feature contests for the presidency and other elective offices across the federation.
