Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, has warned those planning to rig the 2027 election to “rethink”, insisting that Nigerians must be allowed to choose their leaders freely.
Obi spoke on Saturday during the inaugural national convention of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Abuja.
The party had earlier announced that it had resolved to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to southern Nigeria for a single term of four years.
With the arrangement, only aspirants from the 17 southern states will contest for the party’s presidential ticket, while the slot will return to northern Nigeria in 2031.
Speaking at the convention, Obi said Nigeria must hold a free, fair and credible election in 2027.
“Nigeria must have democracy and we insist that those who think we will not have free and fair elections in 2027, let them rethink now,” he said.
“Because in 2027, we are going to have free, fair and credible elections.”
Obi also criticised the state of the nation, saying Nigerians are battling poverty, unemployment, hunger and insecurity.
He said over 140 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty, while more than 80 million young people are unemployed or underemployed.
“Today in Nigeria, over 140 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty,” he said.
“Over 80 million Nigerian youth are unemployed or underemployed.”
The former Anambra governor also expressed concern over killings across the country.
He said more than 100 Nigerians had been killed since the beginning of the month.
“Mothers are no longer sure their children that left for school will come back,” Obi said.
“They are not sure that their children that went to work will come back. Every Nigerian today is worried.”
He said Nigeria has become one of the hungriest and most insecure countries in the world.
“No Nigerian knows where the next man will come from,” he said.
“Nigeria is now among the hungriest countries of the world, among the most insecure countries of the world.
“We have the least life expectancy in the world. I can go on and on. Everything that is negative now is Nigeria.”
