Nigeria requires fresh direction, says Peter Obi

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The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has urged President Bola Tinubu to step aside ahead of the 2027 general election, arguing that Nigeria needs a leader with the energy and capacity to confront its worsening economic and security challenges.

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Obi made the remarks during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he said the President’s performance in office had fallen short of what the country requires.

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Drawing a distinction between Tinubu’s tenure as Lagos State governor and his current administration, Obi said, “The Bola Tinubu that was governor is not the one that is president today. He’s tired. He should be allowed to retire in peace and then go home.”

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The former Anambra State governor maintained that Nigeria was moving in the wrong direction under the current administration.

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“As it is right now, Bola Tinubu is leading us nowhere. We will turn it so he can see it. That’s why maybe I’m calling for his retirement. The man should just step aside. Yes, he doesn’t have the capacity to do the job,” he said.

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Obi also expressed concern over what he described as Nigeria’s worsening poverty, hunger and insecurity, saying public discourse should focus on the country’s pressing challenges rather than politics.

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Citing recent poverty projections, he said, “The World Bank has just said that 79 per cent of Nigerians are going to face poverty. In a country of 230 million people, that’s over 180 million. That should be the issue we should be discussing.”

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He added that issues such as education, healthcare and public spending deserved greater attention.

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“They should be talking about the issue of out-of-school children, talking about the issue of health, and all these monies that are missing here and there that would have been invested properly. Nobody is discussing it,” Obi said.

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On food insecurity, the former governor argued that the 2027 election should centre on improving the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

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“This election in 2027 should be about issues that affect ordinary Nigerians. The World Food Programme has just said 35 million Nigerians are going to face hunger. Nigerians are being kidnapped. Let’s talk about Nigeria,” he said.

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Responding to comments by United States President Donald Trump commending Tinubu’s efforts to tackle insecurity, Obi acknowledged the recognition but insisted more needed to be done.

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“Thank you to Donald Trump. Thank you to President Trump. But we need to do more, far more than what we are doing,” he said.

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Obi added, “I’ve heard people, and Donald Trump is now confirming it, say he has done his best. But with the crisis we are facing, his best is not enough. We need to do more.”

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He pointed to recent incidents of mass abductions in Zamfara State as evidence that insecurity remained a national emergency.

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“On Wednesday, 40 people were abducted in Zamfara, and the entire community, everybody is packing to run away. On Thursday, 50 were abducted. So we’re in a crisis situation that requires another capacity,” he said.

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Obi argued that lasting security could only be achieved by addressing poverty and expanding access to education.

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“You can’t create mass poverty and think you can deal with insecurity. The more you put people out of poverty, the more you reduce criminality. You need to invest massively in education,” he said.

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He said that if elected president, he would personally take responsibility for protecting Nigerians.

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“Whatever it takes to secure any Nigerian, I will do that,” Obi said, adding, “If your people are dying, you should be ready to die. You’re the president. You’re the number one person.”

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Speaking on his 2027 ambition, Obi reiterated that his interest was not driven by a desire for political office but by his vision for the country.

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“I’m not desperate to be Nigerian president. I’m desperate to see Nigeria work,” he said.

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He added that he would support any leader capable of delivering good governance.

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“If it’s working, I’ll support whatever makes it work,” Obi said.

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Reflecting on Nigeria’s current state, Obi lamented what he described as a steady decline in living conditions.

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“Every year we’re headed south, where more and more people have been impoverished, more and more children are out of school. Things are going in the wrong direction,” he said.

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He said his goal remained to build “a Nigeria that is united and peaceful” and where every citizen has equal opportunities irrespective of ethnic or religious background.

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