Peter Obi declares 2027 presidential ambition

The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has declared his intention to contest in the 2027 presidential election in Nigeria.

Mr Obi, who served as governor of Anambra State from 2006 to 2014, announced this on Sunday night during an X space organised by his supporters.

He also said he would be willing to serve for a four-year tenure if he reached an agreement with those who supported his ambition.

“If there is any form of agreement that will restrict me to four years in office, I will comply with the agreement and be ready to leave office by 28th May 2031,” Mr Obi said.

In Nigeria, elected presidents are entitled to a four-year tenure and also are also qualified to seek reelection for a second and final term.

Coalition: No joint ticket with Atiku

The 2023 presidential candidate of the PDP, Atiku Abubakar, has been rooting for a coalition of political parties and individuals to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections.

There have been speculations that Mr Obi and Atiku have perfected plans to contest in the 2027 election on a joint ticket as part of the coalition agreements.

But speaking at the X space, Mr Obi, who was Atiku’s running mate in the 2019 elections, refuted the claims.

“I have not joined any form of discussion on joint tickets, including with Atiku,” he said.

Mr Obi said he would only participate in the coalition if it could help solve Nigeria’s challenges.

“If the coalition is not about stopping the killings in Benue, Zamfara, how to revive our economy, how to make our industries productive, how to put food on the tables of Nigerians… Count me out. Nigeria is currently at war. We need to do something about it,” he stated.

‘What I’ll do differently as Nigerian president’

Mr Obi said that if elected as president in 2027, he will restore stability in Nigeria within two years in office.

“I will bring stability in Nigeria within two years in office. Leaders of Nigeria should sit down in Nigeria and fix Nigeria,” he said.

He said: “Three things to follow up with in the first 100 days: To bring order in governance, I will prioritise security, education and pulling people out of poverty.

“To do this is by cutting the cost of governance and fighting corruption from day one. My family will not be involved in corruption. Funds to be channelled into key critical sectors.”

Mr Obi added that he would ensure strong opposition in party politics and end politicians’ defection to other parties.

“There will be no defection of elected officials to other parties when I am in charge,” he said.

He criticised Mr Tinubu for his recent trip to St. Lucia despite growing insecurity in Nigeria.

“St Lucia is about the size of the 10th largest city of Nigeria, Ilorin. In two years, Tinubu has not spent one night in any state in Nigeria apart from Lagos, yet he is going to spend eight nights in St Lucia, a place smaller than Ajegunle,” Mr Obi claimed.

“Imagine in this country, people are dying in Benue, Borno, (and other parts of Nigeria), and our leaders are commissioning bus stops and holidaying.”

Mr Obi claimed that, as the then-governor of Anambra State, he never failed to personally visit people who suffered disasters or attacks.

“My past speaks loudly for me. Wherever there was an issue in Anambra State, I was there physically. Anybody who wants to serve should be ready to put even their life on the line for the lives of Nigerians.

“Nobody abroad takes you seriously if you don’t have a stable government,” he said.

‘Votes will count in 2027’

On his plans for the 2027 election, Mr Obi said the approach would be non-violent and ensure that votes count.

“We will do things differently in 2027. We will follow a non-violent approach and insist that the right thing will be done before the result announcement in Abuja.

“Our votes in 2027 will count, and we will ensure they count,” he said.

Labour Party crisis and rotation of presidency

Mr Obi acknowledged the leadership crisis in the LP, but said he and other party leaders were working tirelessly to get INEC to endorse the Nenadi Usman-led faction of the party based on a Supreme Court ruling.

He expressed support for the zoning of presidential tickets between northern and southern Nigeria.

“I believe in the rotation of government between North and South. I implemented it in Anambra as a governor,” he said.

Background

Mr Obi came third in the 2023 presidential election, which Mr Tinubu of the APC won.

Atiku, who came second in the election under the PDP platform, and Mr Obi separately challenged Mr Tinubu’s election, alleging widespread electoral malpractices, but they lost in all the courts, including Nigeria’s Supreme Court.

Meanwhile, before the 2023 election, there had been agitations by Igbo-speaking people of the South-east that the region should be allowed to produce Nigeria’s president.

Although Mr Obi was not the only presidential candidate from the South-east during the 2023 election, he was perceived as a stronger candidate through whom the Igbo ambition could be realised.