Nigerians need president with competence, capacity, compassion, commitment – Peter Obi

By Henry Umoru ABUJA – The presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has described the kind of leader Nigerians need. Read Also: *Full list: NDC unveils 2027 presidential campaign council *2027: APC dismisses NDC’s allegation of blocking venues, billboards for campaign According to the former Anambra State governor, the administration of President Bola Tinubu lacked “competence, capacity, compassion and commitment required to address the country’s problems,” insisting that Nigerians needed a president who would be available and responsive.

He spoke on Monday night in Abuja at the inauguration of the party’s 118-member National Presidential Campaign Council ahead of January 16, 2027, where certificates of return were presented to NDC candidates. Peter Obi called for a new leadership for Nigeria, saying the country is facing serious challenges under the present administration. Obi said: “Everything is collapsing.

Nigerians are looking for new leadership, and I can assure you that we will provide it.” Obi, who is contesting the presidency alongside his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, noted that the country needed a fundamental change in leadership, governance philosophy and public resource management, insisting that Nigerians could no longer afford a government that failed to address their most pressing challenges.

NEC meeting The events followed an emergency meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee, NEC, and the inauguration of the newly acquired national secretariat at 393 Etang Obuli Crescent, Jabi, Abuja, which is expected to serve as the party’s administrative headquarters and presidential campaign coordination centre. The NDC intensified its preparations for the 2027 general elections with the inauguration of its newly acquired national secretariat in Jabi, Abuja, the formal inauguration of its National Presidential Campaign Council and the presentation of certificates of return to candidates elected to contest on the party’s platform.

The NDC presidential candidate, who warned against electoral malpractice ahead of the 2027 general elections, said the NDC would demand a free, fair and credible election. He urged supporters to go into the country and campaign for the party, just as he warned those who might harass NDC supporters or attempt to manipulate the election that the party would resist such actions.

Obi said the party would focus on making Nigeria work and restoring the confidence of Nigerians in their country. Addressing party leaders and supporters at the dinner, Obi painted a grim picture of Nigeria’s socioeconomic conditions, citing poverty, unemployment, insecurity, corruption and the education crisis as evidence of what he described as the failure of the present administration.

He argued that the responsibility of government was to solve problems rather than blame political opponents, insisting that an NDC administration would be judged by the improvements it delivered to citizens. The purpose of governance is to solve problems, not to blame people. Kwankwaso and I will not blame anybody. We will create that new Nigeria that is possible,” Obi declared.

Economic woes Obi accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of presiding over worsening economic hardship and declining national performance. He argued that the resources available to the government had not translated into meaningful improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians, said Nigerians were increasingly demanding a different kind of leadership, one capable of responding decisively to the country’s challenges and demonstrating accountability in the management of public funds.

“From my engagements all over Nigeria, Nigerians are looking for new leadership. And we assure you that we will create that new leadership,” he said. Obi who maintained that the country needed leaders with the competence, capacity, compassion, commitment and physical availability required to address the demands of national governance, argued that the president of Nigeria must be accessible to citizens, responsive to emergencies and willing to visit communities affected by insecurity, rather than remain distant from the realities confronting the population.

Declares war on corruption The NDC Presidential Candidate who pledged to launch what he described as an unprecedented battle against corruption, which he identified as a major obstacle to economic development, effective public service delivery and national prosperity, argued that corruption undermined the impact of public expenditure, weakened institutions, discouraged productive investment and deprived citizens of essential services.

He maintained that the country’s economic difficulties could not be separated from questions about how public revenues and borrowed funds had been managed, adding, Let me tell you why we must fight corruption head on,” Obi said, questioning the outcomes of the substantial borrowing and expenditure undertaken by the Federal Governm