• NDC presidential candidate pledges emergency measures on security, agriculture, education, healthcare, electricity
• Promises 20% of credit to SMEs, primary healthcare centres in every ward within two years
Sunday Aborisade in Abuja
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, has vowed to wage an uncompromising war against corruption and ensure the transparent management of public resources, declaring that Nigerians would begin to see measurable improvements in governance from the first day of an NDC administration.
Obi, who is contesting the January 16, 2027 presidential election with former Kano State governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, as his running mate, also promised emergency interventions in security, agriculture, education, healthcare and electricity, insisting that Nigeria could no longer afford leadership that blamed previous administrations for its failures.
He made the commitments in Abuja at a dinner organised to inaugurate the party’s National Presidential Campaign Council and present certificates of return to its candidates, following the unveiling of its new national secretariat at 393 Etang Obuli Crescent, Jabi, Abuja.
The former Anambra State governor said his administration would prioritise problem-solving, accountability and measurable outcomes rather than political excuses, arguing that public officeholders must demonstrate how the country’s resources translate into improved living conditions.
“The purpose of governance is to solve problems, not to blame people. Kwankwaso and I will not blame anybody. We will create that new Nigeria that is possible,” he declared.
Obi accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of failing to translate increased government revenues and borrowing into commensurate improvements in Nigerians’ living conditions.
He said the country needed leadership that would respond directly to the challenges confronting citizens, particularly insecurity, hunger, unemployment, poverty and the rising cost of living.
“From my engagements all over Nigeria, Nigerians are looking for new leadership. And we assure you that we will create that new leadership,” he said.
Obi made the fight against corruption a central pillar of his campaign, promising to ensure that public funds served the interests of Nigerians rather than being diverted for private benefit.
He argued that corruption had weakened public institutions, undermined development spending, discouraged productive investment and contributed to the country’s persistent economic difficulties.
Questioning the management of government revenues and borrowed funds under the Tinubu administration, he demanded greater transparency in public expenditure and challenged the Federal Government to account for its spending and development projects.
“We must stop people from stealing public money. We must use public money for the public good. And that will be seen, it will be shown,” he said.
The NDC candidate insisted that public officials found culpable of corruption must be held accountable in accordance with the law.
He also questioned the implementation of the 2023, 2024 and 2025 budgets, alleging that capital expenditure remained below 20 per cent and that contractors were experiencing difficulties receiving payments for completed projects.
Obi challenged the Federal Government to provide Nigerians with a detailed account of its expenditure, projects and achievements, arguing that citizens deserved tangible improvements rather than repeated explanations of the country’s problems.
“We don’t want you to hire us to tell you about our problem. It’s only in Nigeria that you hire people, and they start reminding you of what happened in the past.
“No, we don’t want you to hire us to tell you about our problem. We want you to hire us to improve from today,” he said.
On security, Obi promised a more direct presidential response to kidnapping, violent attacks and other threats to lives and property, insisting that the president must demonstrate leadership by visiting communities affected by emergencies.
He argued that the country’s security challenges required urgent action and a leadership willing to engage directly with affected communities rather than remain distant from the realities confronting victims.
“If they say there is a problem in Jos, he will go to Jos,” he said.
Obi pledged to visit communities affected by insecurity in Plateau, Benue, Zamfara, Sokoto and Borno States, among others, and criticised what he described as excessive foreign travel by the president.
He maintained that Nigeria needed a leader who would devote greater attention to domestic challenges and demonstrate solidarity with citizens facing violence, displacement and economic hardship.
The NDC candidate also promised emergency measures to revive agriculture, particularly in northern Nigeria, where insecurity has disrupted farming activities and restricted access to productive land.
He said restoring security in farming communities would enable farmers to return to their fields, increase food production, reduce dependence on imports and strengthen the supply of raw materials to local industries.
“We have vast land in the north. When we secure the north, our farmers must go back and produce what we eat and what we use for our industries,” he said.
He linked agricultural recovery to the broader task of tackling hunger, stabilising food prices, creating employment and moving the economy away from excessive dependence on consumption and borrowing.
Obi also pledged emergency interventions in education, expressing concern over the number of Nigerian children outside the formal school system.
He argued that the country could not achieve sustainable development without investing in human capital and ensuring that children from disadvantaged backgrounds had access to quality education.
Drawing on his experience as governor of Anambra State, he said education should serve as a pathway to opportunity, regardless of a person’s family background or social connections.
“We must create a society where a child of nobody will be somebody without knowing anybody,” he said.
On healthcare, Obi renewed his promise to establish a functional primary healthcare centre in every ward within two years of assuming office.
He said the proposed intervention would bring basic medical services closer to communities, improve access to treatment and reduce preventable deaths.
The former governor also pledged emergency measures to address persistent electricity shortages, describing reliable power supply as indispensable to industrial growth, job creation and economic recovery.
“We will declare emergency on generation, transmission, and distribution,” he said.
Obi argued that unreliable electricity had increased operating costs for businesses, burdened households and constrained the productive capacity of Nigerian industries.
He called for the revival of manufacturing establishments across the country, citing the decline of industries in Kano as an example of the economic consequences of inadequate infrastructure and weak industrial development.
He said Nigeria must transition from an economy driven largely by consumption and borrowing to one built on production, investment and job creation.
Small and medium-sized enterprises also featured prominently in Obi’s economic proposals, with the NDC candidate promising improved access to credit, tax relief and incentives to stimulate business growth.
Citing figures indicating that Nigeria has more than 40 million small businesses, he said the sector remained constrained by limited access to bank financing despite its importance to employment and economic activity.
Obi said an NDC administration would work to ensure that more than 20 per cent of credit went to small businesses, arguing that expanding financing opportunities would enable entrepreneurs to grow their operations and employ more Nigerians.
“We will put a mark to it. We will ensure that over 20% of credits will go to small businesses. We will support them,” he said.
He also promised tax holidays and other incentives to support small businesses, while insisting that government policies must encourage production and enterprise rather than impose burdens that stifle growth.
The proposed measures, he said, would form part of a broader economic strategy to expand employment opportunities, strengthen local production and improve household incomes.
Turning to the 2027 elections, Obi urged political actors to respect the rights of opposition supporters and refrain from intimidating citizens engaged in lawful political activities.
He said political competition should centre on ideas, policies and the credibility of candidates rather than harassment or the suppression of opposing voices.
“Humility and civility are not weaknesses. It is a virtue. Good behaviour is not a weakness. It is a virtue,” he said.
The NDC presidential candidate also urged Nigerians to defend the integrity of the electoral process, insisting that the forthcoming election should provide citizens with an opportunity to determine their political future through the ballot.
“The revolution that is coming is a revolution of the ballot,” he declared.
He called for free, fair and credible elections, maintaining that electoral legitimacy remained fundamental to democratic governance and public confidence in political institutions.
Earlier, NDC National Chairman, Senator Moses Cleopas, described the gathering as a significant milestone in the party’s preparations for the 2027 general election, saying its emergence was driven by the determination to offer Nigerians a different approach to governance.
Cleopas said the party had conducted its primaries within a short period and that the dinner provided an opportunity for candidates, party leaders and other stakeholders to strengthen their commitment to a common political agenda.
He identified the inauguration of the National Presidential Campaign Council and the presentation of certificates of return to candidates as major steps in the party’s preparations for the elections.
The national chairman disclosed that the certificates contained security codes, warning against unauthorised claims to candidacy and insisting that the party would maintain order and accountability in its electoral process.
He challenged candidates to regard their nominations as a responsibility to the electorate rather than a personal achievement, warning that the party would not tolerate unfulfilled campaign promises.
Cleopas urged candidates to make realistic commitments and ensure that, if elected, they delivered on their promises to the people.
“If we fail to bring water for you in two years, if we open our mouths to say, vote for us again, please don’t vote for us,” he said.
He described the party’s political mission as an effort to address the country’s challenges and restore public confidence in leadership.
“We are going for a rescue mission; the hope of this country is in NDC,” Cleopas declared.
The party’s National Leader, Senator Seriake Dickson, described the new national secretariat as the NDC’s ‘Noah’s Ark’, presenting the facility as a unifying centre for the party as it prepares for the 2027 elections.
The secretariat is expected to serve as the party’s administrative headquarters and provide a central base for strategic planning, organisational activities and coordination of its nationwide presidential campaign.
The unveiling followed the party’s Third National Executive Committee meeting and formed part of a series of activities designed to strengthen its structures ahead of the general election.
The event brought together Cleopas, Dickson, Senator Victor Umeh, who represents Anambra Central in the Senate; Rivers State governorship candidate, Dumo Lulu-Briggs; Adamawa State governorship candidate, Senator Aisha Binani and other party leaders and members.
The inauguration of the campaign council and presentation of certificates of return to candidates marked another phase in the NDC’s electoral preparations.
With the establishment of its national headquarters and the inauguration of its campaign council, the party is seeking to build a nationwide campaign around accountability, economic recovery, improved public services, security and a different approach to leadership ahead of the 2027 polls.