Obi pledges emergency on security, education, power

By Edwin Philip, Lafia The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has promised to declare a state of emergency in security, education and electricity if elected president in 2027. Obi made the pledge on Wednesday during a town hall meeting with supporters and grassroots stakeholders in Kwanga, Nasarawa State, where he outlined his plans to improve security, expand access to education and boost electricity generation.

The former Anambra State governor promised to deliver 10,000 megawatts of electricity within four years of an NDC administration, describing reliable power supply as critical to industrialisation and job creation. He criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, alleging that the president had spent more than 260 days abroad since assuming office while Nigerians grappled with economic hardship and insecurity.

“Nigeria wants a leadership that will be available to all Nigerians, not a President that sits in Abuja or travels abroad while the country burns,” Obi said. On education, he promised free and compulsory schooling to ensure that every Nigerian child had access to education. Addressing the economy, Obi said borrowing was not inherently wrong but argued that loans should be directed towards productive investments rather than corruption and consumption.

“Borrowing is not bad if you borrow for production, to build the economy. What is bad is when you borrow for corruption and for consumption,” he said. Obi also described the Obidient and Kwankwasiyya movements as groups united by a common desire for good governance and a change in Nigeria’s direction. He pledged to dismantle what he described as a cabal in the Presidential Villa that, according to him, had hindered the effective functioning of the Federal Government.

The NDC candidate further claimed that his party’s presidential candidate and running mate were travelling across the country to engage directly with voters at the grassroots, rather than conducting their campaigns from Abuja. He thanked Nasarawa residents for supporting the vision of a new Nigeria, saying the movement for change remained alive. Also speaking, the NDC vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, described the party as one that belonged to all Nigerians and urged voters to participate actively in the 2027 general elections.

Kwankwaso expressed optimism that the NDC would win Nasarawa and other states in the North, calling on Nigerians across party lines to support the joint ticket. In his remarks, the NDC chairman in Nasarawa State, Dogo Shammah, said the party was prepared to compete in the 2027 elections. Shammah described Nasarawa as Obi’s political home, attributing the claim to what he said was the level of support the candidate enjoyed in the state.