2027: Peter Obi unveils campaign agenda, vows to reset Nigeria
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has unveiled his agenda for the 2027 general election, promising to unite and secure Nigeria, grow the economy and move the country “from consumption to production.”
Obi, who is contesting alongside former Kano State Governor, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, made the promises in a press conference on Friday to mark the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The former Anambra State governor said Nigeria was facing serious challenges but insisted that the country possessed the human and material resources needed to overcome them.
“I enter this contest with one firm conviction: Nigeria can work, and Nigeria must work,” Obi said.
“Nigeria faces several serious challenges. Some of them are indeed of existential proportions.”
He cited poverty, food insecurity, displacement, unemployment, poor infrastructure, unreliable electricity and the high cost of doing business among the challenges confronting Nigerians.
According to him, “These are more than statistics. They reflect the daily realities of Nigerian families, farmers, workers, students, and businesses.”
Obi, however, said Nigeria lacked neither the people nor the resources required for transformation.
“Yet I do not believe Nigeria lacks the ability to overcome these challenges. We have the people, resources, market, talent, and enterprise. What we must do now is turn these strengths into security, productivity, and shared prosperity,” he said.
The NDC candidate said his experience in the private sector and public office had shaped his approach to leadership, stressing that government must be accountable and focused on results.
“Government must manage resources responsibly, set clear priorities, and measure the outcomes of its decisions. Public office is not a reward; it is a responsibility to the people,” he said.
Obi said his administration as governor of Anambra State focused on “education, healthcare, infrastructure, fiscal discipline, and institutional capacity.”
He also highlighted Kwankwaso’s record as governor of Kano State, saying the former governor focused 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,” he said.
On the economy, Obi said his administration would place “production, investment, enterprise, and human capital at the centre of how we lead.”
He said the government would seek to improve agricultural productivity by securing farming communities, expanding irrigation, improving rural roads and storage facilities, and linking farmers to finance and markets.
“We will also strengthen manufacturing and agro-processing so Nigeria can export more finished goods and capture greater value from its resources,” he said.
Obi added that his government would create an environment in which businesses could invest, hire and expand without unnecessary regulatory and infrastructure barriers.
“And we will manage public finances responsibly. Every naira should have a clear purpose, and major public investments should have measurable outcomes,” he said.
“The goal is not growth for its own sake, but an economy that produces more, employs more people, creates wealth, and improves living standards.”
The presidential candidate also described security as the foundation for national prosperity, arguing that Nigeria could not develop while citizens remained unsafe.
“No nation can prosper when its people cannot live, farm, travel, or do business safely,” he said.
Obi promised to improve intelligence gathering and coordination among security agencies, strengthen policing and border management and make greater use of technology.
“The imperative of decentralising security management, but with strong systems of coordination between the levels, is critical to our plans,” he added.
On economic policy, Obi said Nigeria must shift away from dependence on imports.
“Nigeria cannot import its way to prosperity. We will produce more of what we consume, process more of what we produce, and compete more effectively in global markets,” he said.
He said agriculture, manufacturing, technology, construction, energy, creative industries and services would play major roles in his economic agenda.
“Nigeria does not lack opportunities; what it needs are the systems that enable its people to turn those opportunities into prosperity,” Obi said.
The former governor also pledged to invest in young Nigerians through improved basic education, stronger universities and expanded technical and vocational training.
“I reject the idea that Nigeria’s young population represents a burden. It represents an enormous opportunity, but only if we prepare young Nigerians to participate productively in the economy,” he said.
He added that his government would strengthen healthcare and improve maternal and child health, expand access to essential medicines and better equip healthcare workers.
Obi said every region of the country must become productive, insisting that Nigeria’s diversity should be treated as an economic strength.
“Every region must produce. Every region must contribute. Every region must benefit,” he said.
The NDC candidate further promised to cut wasteful spending while protecting investments that could create jobs and expand productive capacity.
“Reform is not the goal; better lives are,” he said.
“We will cut wasteful spending while protecting investments that create jobs and expand productive capacity. We will raise public revenue without stifling businesses and invest in education, healthcare, security, and infrastructure because they are foundations for future prosperity, not costs to defer.”
Obi urged Nigerians to scrutinise the records and promises of candidates ahead of the 2027 election.
“I urge Nigerians to examine each candidate’s record and proposals, ask tough questions, and demand evidence behind every promise,” he said.
“We should debate ideas without hatred, compete without violence, and disagree without weakening the bonds that unite us. When Nigerians make their choice, that choice must be respected.”
He said his campaign would not be based on ethnicity or religion and urged Nigerians to reject divisive politics.
“The 2027 election must be guided by capacity, competence, compassion, character, and commitment. Our campaign will focus on the urgent concerns of Nigerians and not on ethnicity or religion,” Obi said.
“Nigerians must reject and disregard any campaign driven by propaganda, ethnicity, religion, elitism, or cronyism.”
Obi also challenged all presidential candidates to personally engage Nigerians and defend their records rather than rely on proxies.
“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 true leadership required “presence and empathy,” adding that leaders must visit and listen to communities affected by banditry, terrorism, criminality and flooding.
“Today, I make this clear commitment: 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,” Obi said.
“We will answer questions, defend our record and character, and present our plan to rebuild Nigeria.”
He added that “Any presidential candidate who lacks the resolve to travel across the country, meet the people, and respond to their questions lacks the capacity to govern it.”
Obi said he was committed to beginning “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.”
