2027: ‘If There Is One President the North Will Celebrate, It Is Me’ – Obi

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has declared that the northern region of Nigeria would benefit significantly from his presidency, insisting that he understands the region’s challenges and would tackle poverty through investment in agriculture and other productive sectors.

Obi made the statement while responding to a question on why northern voters should support him over former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress ADC, who has spoken about restoring fuel subsidy.

“If there is one president that the North will celebrate, it is me. I know its problems and will deal with the issue of poverty like never before,” Obi said.

According to him, the North possesses a major economic asset that could transform the region if properly harnessed.

“The North has an asset that no other area can say they have, and that asset is agriculture,” he said.

Obi argued that the worsening poverty in the North could not be attributed solely to the removal of fuel subsidy, stressing that other structural factors were responsible for the region’s economic challenges.

He also promised that his administration would prioritise accountability, prudent spending and the completion of existing public projects rather than embarking on unnecessary new constructions.

“If I’m elected, I will be the one in charge. Nobody will be speaking on my behalf. I will be answerable to the people for every penny spent,” Obi said.

“You won’t see me building new buildings where there are already existing ones until we finish building schools.”

The NDC candidate said his approach to governance would focus on reducing poverty, strengthening productive sectors and ensuring that public resources are deployed transparently for the benefit of Nigerians.