Former Governor of Anambra State and presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has charged his supporters to ensure that their votes are properly counted in the 2027 elections.
Speaking in Abuja at the public presentation of a book titled “Obi, the Political Change Agent” authored by veteran journalist Mr. Ike Abonyi, Obi vowed that the Labour Party would deploy credible individuals to safeguard the electoral process.
He declared, “We will vote, the votes will count and those who will think that they will not count it, we will count them. We will make it work.”
Obi said the failure to secure credible candidates in legislative houses during the last election was one of the party’s major weaknesses, vowing not to repeat the same mistake.
“We are going to look for people all over; those who will be in the houses of assembly, House of Representatives. That is what we didn’t do the last time. We want genuine people who want to be in the house. If you want to make money from politics know that you are part of this problem,” he said.
Commenting on the current economic hardship in the country, Obi criticized the manner in which the Federal Government implemented the fuel subsidy removal and naira flotation policies. He argued that had his administration taken such measures, the outcomes would have been better managed.
According to him, if he had removed fuel subsidy, the price of petrol would have stabilized between N500 and N600 per litre, and the naira would not have depreciated beyond N1,000/$.
“I would have done it in an organised manner. If you remove the illicit and criminal money around, you will be able to get the value (of the naira) in the right space,” Obi stated. “But because everybody is stealing and pursuing the same dollar, nobody knows the rate.”
He further lamented that “illicit money chasing the dollar” was driving the foreign exchange market into chaos, insisting that dismantling such criminal structures would restore confidence and stability in the economy.
Obi added: “I said I will remove fuel subsidy by first removing the criminality in it. If we removed the criminality, today, fuel would have been between N500 and N600 and dollar rate had no reason to be above N1,000.”
Drawing comparisons to other African countries, Obi said: “It has happened in Angola and it is happening in Ghana. In December, Ghana’s money was 14 Cedi to the dollar. Today it is 10 Cedi to the dollar because they are now beginning to see a transparent government.”
He also expressed concern over worsening living conditions in Nigeria, describing the country as one where citizens have become internally displaced despite not being at war.
“Today in Nigeria, we are not at war but Nigerians are in refugee camps in their own country. Nigerians are refugees in Chad, in Cameroon, and we are not at war. The only reason is that we don’t have a government that cares for the people,” he said.
Obi criticized the leadership culture in the country, accusing public office holders of prioritizing personal comfort over the welfare of citizens.
“If they make you Local Government Chairman, Governor, Vice President or President, all they want to do is to renovate a house that doesn’t need renovation so that it will be more comfortable for them at the expense of other people,” he stated.
He called on Nigerians to rise up and take back the country from failed leadership.
“I am assuring you people that if we work together we will dismantle them. Go back to your village and tell them that what we have today, we must gang up to remove it. Because it is not sustainable,” Obi said.
The book presentation event was also attended by notable dignitaries, with a review delivered by former diplomat, Mr. Oseloka Obaze.
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