2027: I’m Desperate To See Nigeria Work, Says Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, says he is desperate to see a better nation. 

Obi said this in an exclusive interview with Channels Television, which was aired on Sunday Politics. 

“I’ve always said I’m not desperate to be Nigerian president. I’m desperate to see Nigeria work. So if it’s working, I’ll support whatever makes it work,” he said.

“I want to see a country where, I keep saying it every day, a child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody; where we can put people out of poverty; where young ones will have the opportunity to live, get a job, be an entrepreneur, and participate in what young people do all over the world.”

When asked if it matters whether he holds a position or not, Obi, a former Anambra governor, said he does not “even need to hold any post”.

“I’m contesting because I believe that I will fix it. I will unite the country. I’m able to do it to show an example of what is possible,” Obi said.

He also denied claims that he would divide Nigeria if elected as president in 2027. Obi responded to comments by former Borno State Governor Ali Modu Sheriff, who had questioned his ability to unify the country.

The former governor said his record demonstrated a long-standing commitment to national unity.

“I will unite Nigeria, and I know what it takes to unite Nigeria,” the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate said.

“I’ve been to the most troubled parts of the North… I’ve been to Benue up to four times, visiting the various affected communities… I’ve spent Christmas and New Year in IDP camps,” he said.

“I’ve built boreholes in Gombe, in Kaduna, in every part of the North. When the University of Sokoto Agricultural Faculty said all they need is a borehole for their farm, I did it,” Obi said. 

He added that he had also visited schools, hospitals and communities across the South-West and North-Central regions, insisting that no contemporary Nigerian politician had travelled as extensively across the country by road.