The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has challenged Nigerians to look beyond ethnic and religious identities and confront the common hardship, insecurity and economic pain affecting citizens across the country.
Obi said the biggest danger facing Nigeria is not the diversity of its people, but the continued exploitation of that diversity to divide citizens who face largely the same economic and security challenges.
He argued that Nigerians have been separated by political narratives even though the realities of everyday life have become remarkably similar across the country.
“Our country needs unity. At present, we are not united. We are divided along ethnic and religious lines, yet, to the best of my knowledge, no tribe buys bread at a lower price, and no tribe buys fuel at a lower price.
“Similarly, no religion buys bread or fuel at a lower price. The poverty affecting our country today is widespread across the entire nation.
“No tribe enjoys greater security than another. Insecurity affects every part of the country.”
The former Anambra State governor spoke during a Global Digital Town Hall streamed through Zoom, YouTube and other social media platforms, where he engaged Nigerians at home and abroad on the 2027 election, voter mobilisation, insecurity and the protection of the electoral process.
Obi said the 2027 election should not merely be about replacing one political administration with another, but about Nigerians making a conscious decision on the kind of country they want to build.
He urged voters to reject the politics of ethnic mobilisation, religious manipulation and inducement, insisting that the consequences of poor leadership ultimately affect everyone.
According to him, no amount of money offered to voters on election day can compensate for years of poor healthcare, insecurity, unemployment, inadequate education and declining living standards.
“If you accept money from them, that is money they would otherwise have spent on security, hospitals, and education,” he said.
Obi also challenged Nigerians who complain about governance to become more active in the electoral process.
He urged citizens to mobilise at the grassroots, register and vote, while ensuring that credible polling agents are present to protect the integrity of the ballot.
The NDC candidate said his campaign would continue to expand its network of polling agents and work with other political parties and stakeholders committed to free, fair and credible elections.
He warned that Nigerians must not surrender their votes after casting them, urging voters to remain at their polling units until the ballots are counted and the results properly recorded in accordance with the law.
On the security crisis, Obi said Nigeria needs political leadership willing to take responsibility for the safety of citizens rather than treating insecurity as a problem that can be delegated entirely to security agencies.
“We have security agencies, and they must function effectively. We must provide them with the logistics they need to perform their duties and ensure that we stand by them.
“We must make certain that they are properly equipped and that their families are cared for if anything happens to them or they become unavailable. We need a president who will lead from the front,” he said.
Obi maintained that security personnel cannot be expected to protect citizens effectively without adequate equipment, logistics, training and welfare.
He said the presidency must provide the political direction, resources and accountability required to make the security architecture work.
The NDC presidential candidate therefore urged Nigerians to approach the 2027 election with a national rather than sectional mindset.
He said the choice before the electorate was ultimately about whether Nigeria would continue to be divided by identities or unite around the common interests of security, economic prosperity, social justice and accountable governance.
The Digital Global Town Hall formed part of Obi’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with national unity, voter participation, election security and protection of the people’s mandate featuring prominently in the engagement.
The NDC said Nigeria’s future cannot be secured by ethnic arithmetic or religious politics, but by citizens who recognise their shared challenges and unite to demand competent, accountable and people-centred leadership.
