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Peter Obi Slams APC for Rising Poverty, Unveils Agenda to Salvage Nigeria
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The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has blamed the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) for worsening poverty and insecurity in Nigeria, promising to restore citizens’ confidence in governance if elected in 2027.
Obi spoke on Monday in Sokoto during a town hall meeting with members and supporters of the party, where he outlined his plans for security, education, agriculture, transportation and economic development.
He alleged that the APC-led administration had failed to adequately provide basic infrastructure and social interventions for Nigerians.
According to him, the situation had contributed to the worsening economic hardship confronting citizens across the country.
“The current administration and some political leaders in the country have abandoned the citizenry without basic infrastructure and intervention. That is why the country is the highest poverty-stricken in the world,” Obi alleged.
He said an NDC administration would prioritise security, education and agriculture in its efforts to rebuild the economy and restore hope among Nigerians.
“We are committed to transforming the country under a united, secure and prosperous leadership of the NDC.
“It is only the NDC that has the capacity and visionary policies that would reverse the system rot. No fake promises will come from us. You will see our commitment by keeping to our promises,” he said.
On transportation, the former Governor of Anambra State described an efficient railway system as critical to economic growth, saying his administration would expand rail connectivity across the country.
He specifically promised to pursue rail links connecting Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states with other parts of the North-West and the country.
“I will effectively ensure rail transport connects Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states, the entire North-West and other regions,” Obi said.
The NDC candidate also promised greater coordination between the president and vice-president, saying his proposed partnership with Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso would ensure that both leaders worked towards the same objectives.
“You will see how leadership works in the same direction. Myself and the Vice Presidential candidate will be working together the way you see us together in Sokoto today,” he said.
On fuel subsidy, Obi said his administration would introduce a transparent system that would ensure Nigerians benefit from government interventions while eliminating opportunities for corruption.
He described the previous subsidy regime as having been undermined by corruption, promising to establish greater transparency in the management of the country’s oil and gas resources.
“Kwankwaso and I will initiate a work plan that would transparently arrive at the quantum of crude, nature of transactions, import and export, and revenue accruing from every single oil and gas transaction and activity for the benefit of Nigerians,” he said.
He further pledged to work with state governors, particularly in the North, to address insecurity and its impact on local economies.
According to him, banditry, kidnapping and terrorism have disrupted economic activities and development in many communities across the region.
Obi also promised to support farmers through fertiliser subsidies and other agricultural interventions aimed at increasing food production and strengthening food security.
He urged voters in Sokoto State to support the NDC, describing the state as strategically important to the party’s plans for the 2027 election.
Also speaking, the NDC vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, accused the APC administration of failing to adequately address the challenges confronting Nigerians, particularly insecurity in the North-West.
Kwankwaso urged residents of Sokoto, Zamfara, Kebbi, Kano, Kaduna, Katsina and Jigawa states to demand improved security and better economic opportunities.
He said the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket represented an attempt to provide a different approach to governance, particularly in tackling insecurity, poverty and underdevelopment.
The former Kano State governor said the North was still facing challenges in education, industrialisation and security, promising that an NDC administration would prioritise the sectors.
He cited previous political partnerships involving leaders from different regions and faiths, including the relationships between Sir Ahmadu Bello and Nnamdi Azikiwe, Shehu Shagari and Alex Ekwueme, Olusegun Obasanjo and Atiku Abubakar, and Goodluck Jonathan and Namadi Sambo.
Earlier, the NDC governorship candidate in Sokoto State, Shamsuddeen Haido, urged party members and supporters to intensify mobilisation ahead of the 2027 elections.
The State chairman of the party, Bello Sani Yabo, described the town hall meeting as an opportunity for members to engage with the party’s proposed agenda for the country.
He assured that the party remained committed to working for victory in Sokoto State.
Meanwhile, Obi and Kwankwaso paid a courtesy visit to the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammadu Sa’ad Abubakar III, where they sought his blessings ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Headlines
Wike Begins Money-for-Vote Campaign, Dangles N10m Bounty for Abuja Councillors to Reelect Tinubu
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has introduced what observers view as a novel dimension to Nigeria’s electoral process as he sensationally promised a N10 million cash reward to every councillor who “delivers” his ward for President Bola Tinubu and All Progressives Congress candidates at the 2027 general election.
Wike made the declaration at a Rainbow Coalition stakeholders’ meeting in Kwali Area Council, attended by traditional rulers, political stakeholders and residents.
The minister, according to Channels TV, urged councillors to mobilise residents and community groups to guarantee victory for the APC in their wards, attaching a price tag to electoral success.
“Any councillor that delivers his ward will get N10 million reward. Therefore, go and meet your leaders, go and meet your youth groups, go and consult with associations. Let’s deliver our ward to Mr President,” Wike reportedly announced.
The statement has triggered concerns over vote-buying, inducement of grassroots officials and the weaponisation of public office to compromise the 2027 polls.
Critics argue that dangling N10 million per ward to elected councillors blurs the line between legitimate mobilisation and financial inducement, reducing the election to a transactional contest where delivery is rewarded in cash.
With months to the general elections, the promise raises fresh questions about whether the will of voters will count, or whether wards will be delivered through coercion, compromise and cash.
Observers warn that when councillors – the closest elected officials to the people – are placed on a bounty, the stage is set for intimidation of opponents, manipulation of results and rigging at the polling unit level.
The development is being seen as part of a growing pattern of desperation within the political class to secure victory at all costs, even if it means monetising the electoral process and compromising its integrity before the first ballot is cast.
The National Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has declined to endorse Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, for another term as head of the National Assembly ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yilwadta said he has no preferred candidate for the position, insisting that the decision would rest entirely with senators elected into the next National Assembly.
He made the remarks on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme.
Asked whether the APC would return Akpabio as Senate President if he wins re-election, Yilwatda responded: “Let’s wait for the election first. I don’t have anybody in mind. The Senate will determine who they want to make the Senate President.”
His response comes despite growing support for Akpabio’s bid to retain the position beyond the current legislative term.
In October, senators publicly backed Akpabio’s return as President of the 11th Senate, with some lawmakers declaring that there would be no vacancy in the position.
Akpabio, who has led the Senate since June 2023, is seeking another term in the National Assembly.
However, Yilwatda’s remarks suggest that the APC leadership is not publicly committing itself to any candidate for the Senate presidency before the elections.
The Senate President is elected by members of the upper legislative chamber, meaning Akpabio would still need the support of his colleagues to retain the position even if he wins re-election.
During the same interview, Yilwatda also defended President Bola Tinubu’s physical fitness ahead of the 2027 presidential election and accused opposition parties of relying on blackmail during political campaigns.
The Senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh, has warned Governor Chukwuma Soludo not to commit treachery against the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, in the name of politics.
Umeh pointedly warned Soludo that his unwarranted attacks on Peter Obi would lead to a fight.
The lawmaker issued the warning while speaking at an unnamed gathering in the State, which was captured in a viral video.
Umeh unapologetically said any Igbo person who refuses to vote for Obi is an enemy of the race.
“People are saying that we have to support another person; if we do that, we are destroying ourselves. I’m an Igbo activist, and you can hear my voice in the Senate on all issues of national importance and particularly those that affect the Igbo.
“Peter is our conscience in this election. Any Igbo man who stands up to say we will not vote for Peter Obi is an enemy of the Igbo people, no matter who the person is.
“Nobody can try it here; I have been hearing a lot of things going on in this State. This government; I helped in installing it; nobody came here to be Governor of Anambra State since 2003 without my input. This one that his serving; I was a principal contributor to his ascending that office; he is holding that office in trust for all of us.
“Anything he does in that office, he must discharge it with honour and nobility, and it’s not by sabotaging our own brother.
“I’m saying it so that anybody who sees him can tell me that we don’t want to fight, but he should not commit what is called an abomination by wanting to destroy his brother in the name of politics.
“Nobody on the side is saying support Peter Obi. Everybody on the other side is saying support Tinubu. But we are saying let us stand for the truth. Peter Obi; this is the time, and if he makes it, the Igbo have made it.”
