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2027: Obi Challenges Presidential Rivals To Face Nigerians, Says 'No Candidate Should Hide Behind Proxies'
2027: Obi Challenges Presidential Rivals To Face Nigerians, Says 'No Candidate Should Hide Behind Proxies'
NEWS
The Nigerian Record
8/21/20265 min read
Nigeria "cannot import its way to prosperity," 2027 presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said, as he challenged fellow presidential candidates to directly engage Nigerians during the election campaign rather than addressing voters through "proxies and surrogates."
The former Anambra State governor made the remarks on Friday while addressing a press conference to mark the commencement of the 2027 presidential and National Assembly campaign season.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Wednesday, August 19, as the commencement of campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections.
Obi said the 2027 election would give Nigerians an opportunity to scrutinise the records, competence and policy proposals of candidates seeking to lead the country.
He said he was entering the contest with the conviction that "Nigeria can work, and Nigeria must work."
Obi Challenges Presidential Rivals
Obi challenged other presidential candidates to directly face Nigerians during the campaign, saying those seeking to govern the country should be prepared to travel across the country, meet communities and answer questions about their records and plans.
"No candidate should hide behind the high walls of power, send proxies or surrogates to the hustings, and expect Nigerians to entrust them with the leadership of the country," he said.
"Every candidate seeking the presidency must have the courage to come before the people, answer their questions, defend their records, and subject their vision to public scrutiny."
He said genuine leadership required direct engagement with citizens, particularly communities affected by insecurity, terrorism, banditry and flooding.
"You cannot truly lead people you are unwilling to visit, listen to, and understand," Obi said.
He pledged that he and his running mate would personally travel across the country to engage voters.
"My running mate and I will take our message directly to Nigerians. We will listen to them, understand their concerns, and engage them openly. We will not delegate this duty to proxies," he said.
Obi urged Nigerians to assess candidates based on capacity, competence, compassion, character and commitment rather than ethnicity, religion or political propaganda.
He also called for issue-based campaigns and warned against violence.
"We should debate ideas without hatred, compete without violence, and disagree without weakening the bonds that unite us," he said.
Obi Unveils Production-Focused Economic Agenda
Outlining his economic agenda, Obi said Nigeria must move away from a consumption-driven economy and focus on production, investment, enterprise and human capital development.
"Nigeria cannot import its way to prosperity," he said.
"We will produce more of what we consume, process more of what we produce, and compete more effectively in global markets."
According to him, Nigeria's large population and domestic market should be treated as economic assets rather than burdens.
He said his administration, if elected, would focus on agriculture, manufacturing, technology, construction, energy, creative industries and services as key sectors for generating jobs and wealth.
"We will deploy our experiences in public funds management, the private sector, and the civil service to turn our population into productive human capital, our natural resources into value-added industries, and our domestic market into an engine for investment and enterprise," he said.
Obi said agricultural productivity would be improved through better security for farmers, irrigation, rural roads, storage facilities, access to finance and stronger links between farmers and markets.
He also promised to strengthen manufacturing and agro-processing to enable Nigeria to export finished products instead of relying heavily on imported goods.
'These Are More Than Statistics'
The presidential candidate painted a grim picture of Nigeria's economic and social challenges, citing poverty, insecurity, unemployment, weak infrastructure and unreliable electricity.
He referenced International Monetary Fund figures which he said showed that 63 per cent, or more than 140 million Nigerians, live at or below the national poverty line.
He also cited humanitarian estimates that about 35 million Nigerians would require food assistance during the 2026 lean season, while approximately 3.6 million people remain internally displaced, largely because of conflict and insecurity.
"These are more than statistics," Obi said.
"They reflect the daily realities of Nigerian families, farmers, workers, students, and businesses."
He said his objective would not simply be economic growth but an economy capable of creating jobs, generating wealth and improving living standards.
"The goal is not growth for its own sake, but an economy that produces more, employs more people, creates wealth, and improves living standards," he said.
Security At Centre Of Agenda
Obi also placed security at the centre of his proposed administration, saying no economy could prosper when citizens could not safely farm, travel or conduct businesses.
"Insecurity has displaced millions of Nigerians and continues to disrupt agriculture, education, trade, and investment," he said.
He proposed improved intelligence gathering and coordination among security agencies, stronger policing and border management, and greater use of technology.
He also advocated decentralisation of security management, while stressing the need for coordination among different levels of government.
"Farmers cannot produce food if they cannot reach their farms safely. Children lose the chance to learn when they cannot attend school safely. Businesses cannot create jobs when they cannot move goods securely," Obi said.
Obi also highlighted his experience as Anambra governor and his private-sector background, saying his record had shaped his understanding of public leadership.
"Public office is not a reward; it is a responsibility to the people," he said.
He said his administration in Anambra prioritised education, healthcare, infrastructure, fiscal discipline and institutional capacity.
Obi also referred to his reported political partnership with Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, saying their governing experiences were "different but complementary."
According to him, Kwankwaso's tenure as Kano governor placed significant emphasis on education, technical training, scholarships, infrastructure and human-capital development.
"Our experiences are different, but our conclusion is the same: Nigeria must invest in its people and manage public resources with discipline," Obi said.
'Young Nigerians Are Our Greatest Asset'
The former Anambra governor rejected the description of Nigeria's growing youth population as a burden, saying it could become a major economic advantage if properly harnessed.
"I reject the idea that Nigeria's young population represents a burden," he said.
"It represents an enormous opportunity, but only if we prepare young Nigerians to participate productively in the economy."
He promised to strengthen basic education, universities and technical and vocational training.
He said Nigeria needed not only professionals such as doctors, engineers, scientists and lawyers, but also technicians, mechanics, builders, nurses, farmers, programmers, manufacturers, artisans and entrepreneurs.
"Our goal is to secure a high demographic dividend from our youth bulge," he said.
Obi also outlined what he described as a region-specific development strategy, arguing that every part of Nigeria must become productive while contributing to a single national economy.
He said the North-West could expand agriculture, livestock, irrigation, agro-processing and manufacturing; the North-East could focus on reconstruction, agriculture, education and regional trade; while the North-Central could strengthen food production and responsibly develop its mineral resources.
For the South-West, he identified manufacturing, technology, finance, trade and the creative economy as areas of opportunity.
He said the South-East could build on its entrepreneurial and industrial strength through improved infrastructure, connectivity and investment, while the South-South could diversify beyond oil and gas into maritime services, fisheries and agriculture.
Obi said his proposed administration would seek to unite Nigeria, strengthen security, reduce poverty and hunger, improve education and healthcare, reduce the number of out-of-school children and create an economy based on production.
"I commit to commencing the journey of resetting Nigeria by uniting it, securing it on the path of economic and inclusive growth, and moving our country from consumption to production," Obi said.