Presidential candidate of the New Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has taken a swipe at the government over the deteriorating condition of internally displaced persons in Sokoto State, saying the plight of more than 1,000 Nigerians in a makeshift camp exposes the widening gap between political leadership and the realities faced by citizens.
Obi spoke after concluding his two-day engagement in Sokoto, where he held consultations on insecurity, poverty, unemployment, out-of-school children and drug abuse before visiting the Ramin Kura IDP Camp in Sokoto North Local Government Area.
The former Anambra State governor said he was confronted by the sight of displaced Nigerians living in thatched rooms and makeshift shelters, with some rooms reportedly accommodating as many as 10 people.
He said the camp lacked adequate toilets, a primary healthcare centre and even a basic school for children.
For Obi, the condition of the camp was not simply a humanitarian crisis but a reflection of what he described as misplaced priorities in governance.
“I have always insisted that as long as even one Nigerian lives in an IDP camp, we are all internally displaced,” Obi said.
He argued that government must do more than provide temporary accommodation, insisting that the security failures responsible for displacing Nigerians must be addressed so that the victims can return to their ancestral communities.
The NDC candidate also took aim at political leaders who, he said, should spend their holidays within Nigeria rather than remain removed from the hardship confronting citizens.
“This is why I continue to say that the President’s and political office holders’ holidays must be within Nigeria, so that they can see first-hand the difficulties faced by these fellow Nigerians,” he said.
Obi’s Sokoto visit comes as he and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, intensify consultations ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with insecurity, poverty, unemployment and education featuring prominently in their engagements in the state.
He said the conditions at Ramin Kura showed the consequences of failing to prioritise critical areas of development and called on the Federal Government and relevant agencies to immediately intervene.
The former governor said the Sokoto camp was the 12th IDP camp he had visited across Nigeria and pledged continued support for displaced Nigerians.
He maintained that the ultimate responsibility of government was to restore security and dignity to displaced citizens rather than allow temporary camps to become permanent homes.
“A New Nigeria is POssible and will be OK,” he said.
