PETER OBI UNVEILS 2027 AGENDA, PRIORITISES NATIONAL UNITY, SECURITY, ECONOMIC PRODUCTIVITY

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has unveiled his policy priorities ahead of the 2027 general elections, identifying national unity, security, economic productivity, healthcare and accountable leadership as key areas of focus.

Obi presented his agenda on Tuesday in Jos, Plateau State, during a town hall meeting with supporters, where he outlined his proposed approach to addressing some of Nigeria’s major challenges.

He said his administration’s first commitment, if elected, would be to unite the country, lamenting divisions along ethnic and religious lines.

“Our number one commitment is to unite the Federal Republic of Nigeria because today we have no unity. We are divided along tribal and religious lines. That should not be. We are Nigerians,” Obi said.

He listed security as the second major priority, arguing that government must guarantee the safety of lives and property.

“Number two is to secure Nigeria. It is our duty to ensure that Nigerians live in safety, in a country where people are no longer killed daily,” he said.

Obi pledged that his administration would work to prevent the killings of innocent citizens and spare families the pain of losing loved ones to insecurity.

“I assure you that no mother will continue to cry over the loss of her children. No woman should experience the pain of losing her husband, and no father should suffer the agony of losing his wife,” he added.

Addressing the plight of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), the former Anambra State governor said his government would prioritise the safe return of displaced Nigerians to their communities.

He described the continued presence of Nigerians in IDP camps as a failure of governance.

“If any Nigerian remains in an Internally Displaced Persons camp, we have failed. Once one Nigerian is in an IDP camp, the entire Nigeria is in an IDP camp. People must return to their homes,” he stated.

The NDC candidate also promised to strengthen Nigeria’s security architecture and tackle kidnapping and other violent crimes.

“Nobody will kidnap two children and disappear into the bush. If you kidnap children and go into the bush, you will not be alone there. We will come after you,” Obi declared.

On governance, Obi said leadership must be responsive to citizens’ needs, insisting that elected officials should listen to the people rather than merely make promises during election campaigns.

“When you want to serve, you must listen to the people. When we come for campaigns, we only talk and we don’t listen to the people. We have decided that leadership must be demand-driven,” he said.

He also expressed concern over insecurity in Plateau State, particularly in communities including Bokkos, Barkin Ladi and Mangu, describing the situation as unacceptable.

Obi said the suffering of displaced persons, victims of violence and bereaved families was among the reasons for his presidential ambition.

“If I have one person in an IDP camp, it means we are all in an IDP camp. I am competing because I want to know how we talk to that mother whose child was killed, that husband who lost a wife and that woman who lost a husband. Who is going to listen to their cries?” he asked.

He urged Nigerians to participate actively in the 2027 general elections, describing voting as a civic responsibility that should extend beyond merely casting a ballot.

“In the next election, every voter is an agent. Don’t vote and go home. Take that day as the one day you are giving to Nigeria as a patriotic Nigerian,” he said.

Obi’s proposed agenda also identifies economic productivity, healthcare and accountable leadership as priority areas, although further details of the policies and implementation plans were not provided in the remarks contained in the report.