As Nigeria gears up for the 2027 general election, Labour Party’s Peter Obi has urged the North to foster trust and unity, emphasizing that the time has come to shift focus from divisive politics. Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, made this plea during a speech at the National Consultative Group (North) meeting in Abuja, where he also highlighted the pressing issue of insecurity in the region. According to Obi, the root of insecurity in Nigeria, particularly in the North, lies in poverty, and he stressed that the country’s leaders must prioritize investing in humanity to bring about change.
The meeting, which brought together opposition figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Governor of Rivers State Rotimi Amaechi, and former Vice Presidential candidate of the Labour Party Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, is part of a broader effort to form a coalition aimed at unseating President Bola Tinubu in 2027. During his address, Obi questioned the government’s allocation of N15 trillion for the Lagos-Calabar coastal road, suggesting that a more pressing concern is the insecurity plaguing the North. He proposed redirecting funds to address poverty and insecurity, citing the potential to capitalize the Agric Bank with N1 trillion and allocate another N1 trillion towards poverty alleviation.
Obi’s speech also touched on the economic decline of once-thriving cities in the North, such as Kano and Kaduna, where industries have disappeared, leading to widespread poverty and criminality. He emphasized that governance is key to solving these issues and that the North holds the solution to Nigeria’s problems. By investing in humanity and pulling people out of poverty, Obi believes that insecurity can be effectively addressed. He urged the leaders to build trust among themselves and to vote for competence and capacity in future elections, rather than along religious lines. Obi’s message was clear: Nigeria has the potential to be a great country, but it requires leaders who are willing to change and invest in its people.
