Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has said that the incumbent President Bola Tinubu’s “incompetent leadership” was the driving force behind his renewed push to contest Nigeria’s highest office in the 2027 general election.
Obi disclosed this on Sunday evening during an interview on Channels Television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ programme, where he criticised the current administration’s handling of governance and outlined his vision for a better Nigeria.
“As you can see it everywhere, we have an incompetent government,” Obi said, referencing the state of the nation under President Tinubu’s leadership.
Laying out his agenda, Obi vowed to run a government rooted in law, equity, and meritocracy if elected president.
“As president of Nigeria, I will bring civility and order. I will govern with the constitution of Nigeria. I will govern within the laws. The government will obey the law. I will do appointments by federal character,” he stated.
“I will appoint competent persons with capacity and compassion for the good of Nigeria—people who are worthy of emulation.”
Taking a swipe at President Tinubu’s decision to retain the petroleum ministry portfolio, Obi assured that his administration would fully delegate responsibilities.
“I am not going to be the minister of petroleum. Every ministry will have a substantive minister with competence, character, compassion, and the capacity to run that ministry.”
He also emphasised the importance of hands-on leadership, pledging to monitor critical sectors in real-time.
“There are things as president that I will have hands-on, reported to me daily or in real time. Number one is the security of lives and property of every Nigerian. Number two is basic education for our children. It is more important for Nigeria to invest in education than oil. The human capital of Nigeria, considering our population, is a huge asset.”
On healthcare, Obi pledged to prioritise primary healthcare and expand insurance coverage.
“I will make sure that I know everything that happens concerning the health of Nigerians, starting from primary healthcare. I will ensure we increase insurance coverage. The rich will pay; the poor will benefit.”
Obi further stated that agriculture and industrial growth will also form part of his governance priorities.
“I will make sure I know in real-time what happens with agricultural products, which will drive the foundation of our manufacturers,” Obi added. “I want to know what power is generated and distributed daily. I want to look at SMEs and manufacturers to ensure that they are properly supported with adequate interest rates.”
