Peter Obi 2027 presidential ambitions are becoming clearer as the 2023 Labour Party (LP) candidate on Tuesday continued his sharp critique of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government, urging Nigerians to unite and “dismantle” the current administration in 2027.
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Speaking in Abuja at the public presentation of ‘Obi, the Political Change Agent,’ a book by seasoned journalist Mr. Ike Abonyi, Obi contended that the government has “failed” to meet the expectations of Nigerians.
He highlighted persistent issues such as killings, hunger, price inflation, widespread poverty, naira devaluation, and high unemployment, two years into the administration’s tenure. He reiterated his promise to improve livelihoods.
Obi lamented that while Nigerians grapple with daily deaths due to unaffordable drugs, hunger, and insecurity, the government appears to celebrate superficial achievements like decorations, repainting of buildings, and the inauguration of a conference centre with no direct impact on citizens’ lives.
“That is what we want to dismantle. Thank you for your commitment. If we continue working together, we will dismantle them.
Go back to your communities and tell them, what we have today is not sustainable. It must be removed,” Obi stated emphatically.
He further challenged the public to scrutinise the backgrounds and past accomplishments of those who “will come with grammar as usual,” asserting that this approach would help identify who can genuinely fix the country.
Elaborating on what he termed Nigeria’s “failures” and decay, Obi pointed out, “Today in Nigeria, we are not officially at war, yet Nigerians are living in IDP camps in their own country.
Nigerians are refugees in Chad. Nigerians are refugees in Cameroon.
And we are not at war!” He attributed this dire situation to a government that “doesn’t care for them,” noting the lack of official visits or apologies to victims of daily killings, contrasting it with celebrations by those who can afford them.
“We are building celebration venues, decorating streets, throwing parties. Please, I beg you, continue to sacrifice. That’s all I can ask.
Do what is possible,” he pleaded. Obi specifically decried the use of public resources for renovating government buildings, building mansions, and painting offices, while vital services suffer.
“You saw the latest report; it said a woman dies every seven minutes during childbirth in Nigeria.
Yet, we keep building big buildings instead of saving lives,” he lamented.
Obi outlined how the preparations and execution of the 2027 elections would differ from 2023, stressing that many overlooked aspects by the opposition and the ‘Obidient Movement’ in the last polls would not be repeated.
He specifically mentioned a change in the process of selecting political office contestants to ensure only those committed to the Nigerian masses’ interest secure tickets.
We must not allow people who just want to make money from politics. If your goal is to make money, you are part of the problem.
Insisting that “every vote must count” in 2027, Obi warned that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would either ensure votes count or “they will be counted” regardless.
“Now, we must focus on getting the right people into the National Assembly, the House of Representatives; people who will bring peace. That’s what we didn’t do the last time,” he acknowledged.
“We must not allow people who just want to make money from politics. If your goal is to make money, you are part of the problem.
” He concluded with a resolute call to action: “Don’t tell us you’re coming again; we will be everywhere this time. We will vote. The votes will count.
And those who were not counted before, we will count them now.
Let’s go back and work hard. We will make it work.”
In her address, Senator Nenadi Usman, Chairman of the Labour Party’s National Caretaker Committee (NCC), urged active citizen involvement in driving change.
She highlighted that ‘Obi, the Political Change Agent’ offers valuable lessons on active political participation.
Usman praised Obi as a voice who “does not merely echo the people’s frustrations but dares to chart a new path for them.
” She described the book as a chronicle of “accountability against impunity, simplicity against flamboyance, principle against expediency and prudence against financial recklessness,” examining not just Obi’s public service but the “inevitability of a New Nigeria” through 26 chapters covering “disruption, reform, resistance, and rebirth.
“ She particularly commended the author, Ike Abonyi, for his “bold and unflinching chronicle,” noting that chapters on electoral intrigue, media battles, identity politics, and ideological tenacity are “essential readings.”
Prof. Sam Amadi, the keynote speaker, concurred that Nigeria currently exhibits indices of failure, necessitating a “ballot box revolution” for rescue.
He stressed the urgent need to address questions surrounding poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
Also read:Peter Obi urges Nigerians to elect compassionate leaders in 2027
“We don’t have values and we can’t be productive unless we have values,” Amadi stated, concluding that what Nigeria urgently needs is a “ballot box revolution because it has legitimacy.
That is what the Obidients are talking about.
