Politics
What I will do if elected President — Peter Obi
Labour Party (LP) Presidential Candidate, Peter Obi has unveiled his policy thrust if elected President of Nigeria in 2023.
Obi, who is in the United States of America in continuation of his international consultations with the Diasporas, gave a vivid picture of what his government would do in all critical areas, including his top three priorities, if elected to office.
Below are details of the Questions and Answers that gave copious insight into what governance will look like in Nigeria if Obi is elected Nigeria President in 2023.
How do you see yourself making a difference in Nigeria?
We will offer a new brand of transformative and purposeful leadership. Nigeria is not bereft of good governance ideas and plans. However, a combination of institutional weaknesses and a lack of political will meant that various policies and strategies are poorly implemented leading to poor outcomes for the people. Hence, the overall goal of my administration shall be to streamline governance, and make it more responsive, transformative, effective, less transactional, and therefore efficient and cost-effective.
What kind of leadership do you hope to provide Nigerians?
Thinking through 2023 and beyond, we must think seriously about a leadership that is imbued with competence, capacity, credibility and commitment. Accordingly, we will pursue intangible assets of good governance, rule of law, and security of lives and properties; we will ensure that we have these assets in place and stress asset optimization.
Africa has looked to Nigeria for leadership but has found it absent and wanting. What would you do to restore leadership?
Our foreign policy has always been Afrocentric. So, Africa will remain the centre-piece of our foreign policy. We will strike a strategic balance that allows us to promote and protect national interests while meeting our ECOWAS obligations. We will rebuild Nigeria’s military power, promote economic growth, and enhance its technological prowess with a view to improving Nigeria’s diplomatic influence in sub-regional, regional and global affairs.
Restoring leadership will require that we reassert proactively, Nigeria’s leadership role in African affairs through constructive engagement, peacekeeping duties, and using existing sub-regional and regional forums as well as bilateral platforms for dialogue on current and emerging challenges. We will continue to enhance our sphere of influence via peacekeeping, and trade and investment initiatives.
The sense of being part of a united country has been eroded. How do you see yourself reuniting Nigerians?
Securing, uniting and making Nigeria productive require steady and trusted hands. We shall ensure that in moving Nigeria forward, no state or community will be left behind. Pursuant to its statutory responsibility to protect, our government will promote equity in power and resource sharing. There must be a renewed sense of patriotism; that will come through leadership by example.
Do you think that states and regions need more autonomy?
You are indirectly asking about restructuring. I consider restructuring a process, not a one-off event. Yes, if we have a real federation, the federating units will enjoy discernible autonomy. Resources will also be shared equitably. A higher derivation paid to oil or solid minerals-producing states will not be tantamount to other states not receiving federal allocations that should keep them viable. We must transcend the rhetoric that bedevils a robust debate on some of these national questions.
In the past, the ethnic identity of the President has resulted in a preponderance of unqualified people being appointed to key positions. How will you address this problem?
We will respect the principles of federal character, affirmative action and gender balance; but no longer at the expense of merit.
How do you propose to address the security challenges in the north and those of oil theft?
The relevant security institutions and agencies exist. Supporting national security-enabling documents and strategies also exist. We will tweak the security architecture, which will entail reform of the security sector and governance. We will restructure, reequip and reorient the Nigerian Police: This will include three-level policing- Federal, state and community. We will build a compact, robust and ready Mobile Police Force with rapid response deployment capabilities; and legislate the establishment of state police based on community policing. We will raise the population-to-police officer ratio to a higher level.
There would be a properly manned, equipped and technologically driven security system with particular emphasis on re-focusing the military on external threats and border protection and police on internal security threats and law enforcement; swift prosecution of criminals, bandits and terrorists; enhanced coordination among security agencies; and upholding the rule of law.
Operational Coordination
We would integrate the activities of the National Intelligence and Security Agencies by establishing a central reporting intelligence loop under the authority the Minister of National & Homeland Security; Establish a National Command and Control Coordination Center for the efficient management of actionable intelligence, resource allocation and force deployment. Membership should consist of representatives of all security agencies on a need-to-know basis.
Oil Theft
I believe in continuity in governance. But each extant policy must be considered and if need be, reviewed on its merit. The oil theft is not petty pilfering. It is an organized crime by a syndicate that involves a certain degree of sophisticated intelligence and logistical arrangement. We must admit that oil theft is happening because there is domestic and external collusion. The government and the people have the collective responsibility to protect national assets. On my watch, those responsibilities will be accorded high priority.
Regional Security
Foreign and National Security policy initiatives, might in the long term entail rebuilding, repositioning and sustaining ECOMOG, as the arrowhead of a West African Security partnership. This is to counter terrorist threats and international subversion of the sovereignty of the West African region of which Nigeria must reestablish her place as a regional power.
Will you be maintaining the policy of fixed exchange rates coupled with heavy government borrowing? Will you be adhering to the fiscal responsibility laws?
We will abide by the fiscal responsibility laws. Despite the exigency and convenience which the two-tier foreign exchange regime offers, it has become an albatross. Hence that arrangement will be critically reviewed, adjusted or even eliminated. We will explore ways of cushioning the forex demands by mainstreaming those components of Diaspora remittances that remain opaque and informal. With proper policy and planning, we can expect to boost and leapfrog the current $20 billion in remittances to $40b to $60b annually. That will translate to about 14% of our total GDP.
The youth have often felt left out in the country, especially in the light of central Bank policies on tech companies. Will you reconsider these policies? How do you propose to address the brain drain?
We are challenged by high youth unemployment, which stands at 33.3%; 54% for the youth; and 20 million out-of-school-children. We must give this country back to the Nigerian youths. Half of our 200 million people are below the age of 30.
Harnessing our national youth strength and demographic dividends intelligently must start with curbing the high youth unemployment and creating funding access to enable our youths to become entrepreneurs and drivers of our Small and Medium Scale enterprises (SMEs).
We will work to bring down the unemployment rate to fewer than 20 per cent over the next four years if elected. Part of our objectives on the economy will be focused on supporting job creation given its impact on the economy as well as poverty alleviation.
We will review the legislation guiding the fund access modalities to Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC), and the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), to redress prevailing bottlenecks, create greater transparency, and ensure increased flexibility, and optimum availability of funds required to meet the educational need of the Nigerian students they are meant to serve.
We will explore ways and means of tapping in on technology transfer from the Diaspora; we will also explore ways of reversing the enormous brain drain that has been debilitating for our country. We will trigger every known technological and knowledge transfer initiator. Nigeria’s brain drain will be turned into brain gain.
Will the corrupt be allowed to keep their loot? How much focus will be given to probes?
We will have zero tolerance for corruption; block leakages and cut the cost of governance. Our total commitment to transparency and accountability in government business is the only credible way to achieve limited to zero corruption.
The policies required to fight corruption already exist; it is the political will to implement them that has been lacking. My governance modalities have always been forward-looking and will remain so. We will negotiate the return of our stolen national wealth from the custodial countries.
Will you be maintaining the subsidies on electricity and petroleum?
There are two elements of subsidy- the corruption component and the real subsidy component. The oil subsidy arrangement as it stands is fraught with criminality. It is unacceptable.
For corruption, we will deal with it decisively which will reduce the subsidy cost by over 50%. There will be weighted measures and counter-balance policies and programmes to cushion the impact of the removal of oil subsidy, if and when it is removed. The difference is that now, only some sacred and self-entitled few benefit from the oil subsidy. That narrative will change.
We will support local refining for domestic use and priced strictly in Naira. Starting with all government vehicles, we will transition to gas-powered cars.
While we support private enterprises will you take measures to ensure that Nigeria does not get dominated by a small group of oligopolists and monopolists?
Free enterprise is about market forces and keen competition. These will occur at different levels. If we liberalize access to funding, SMEs will flourish; they have a role to play that giant company no longer play.
We will enforce the legal framework protecting foreign investors and their indigenous partners. This is the only way to tamper with monopoly and capital flight.
In respect of gender equality in business and politics, Nigeria is behind many African countries. Will you be taking this as a priority?
As governor of Anambra State, my administration achieved close to a 60-40 gender balance in appointive and elective positions. The national target has hovered around 30-35%. We intend to progressively aim for between 35-40%, with aggressive gender mainstreaming action plans and rigid benchmarks.
The Central Bank has lost the confidence of many inside and outside of Nigeria. What do you propose to do about this?
As part of our monetary policy, we will seek to reestablish the independence of the CBN; and commit to a credible and transparent plan to normalize the exchange rate and bring inflation to single digits.
We will remove import and forex restrictions and insist on a single forex market. The current system penalizes exporters who bring in forex by forcing them to sell at a rate that they are unable to source for forex when they need to purchase forex. This multiple exchange rate regime encourages capital flight and deters investment, which has further worsened Nigeria’s forex situation.
Do you see yourself deepening or reducing ties with China?
Our trade policies will always be predicated on what is in our best national interest. Trade partners who offer us comparative advantage will be considered. However, we will give primacy to our Africa Trade Treaty obligations.
Beneficiaries of China’s goodwill and investments in Africa are many. So too are the countries defaulting on their Chinese loans. The trend is deeply alarming. Salutary, as it may seem, we must approach such engagement with our national interest uppermost in our minds.
What policy will your administration have towards Russia and Ukraine?
We maintain very cordial relations with Russia and Ukraine. Evidently, this war, in conventional terms, will need to be resolved at the negotiating table. We support the cessation of hostilities agreement under the auspices of the United Nations.
As young people we are concerned with university education. What will you do about the ongoing strike by university teachers?
We will pursue the global best practices and standards within the available resource. Certainly, in the medium and long term, 14% of budgetary funding for education is within the realm of possibility. We will strive to be globally competitive by increasing funding ad ensuring that the (TETFund) resources are redirected to the funding of the Universities and other higher institutions robustly with a view to ending the perennial strikes by University Staff and workers.
What would be your top priorities on getting into office?
• Production-centered growth for food security and export;
• Securing and Uniting Nigeria;
• Effective legal and institutional reforms (rule of law, corruption and government effectiveness);
• Leapfrogging Nigeria from oil to the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR);
• Expanding physical infrastructure through market-driven reforms (unleashing growth-enabling entrepreneurship and market-creating innovations);
• Human capital development that empowers competitiveness; and
• Robust foreign policy that restores Nigeria’s strategic relevance.
How did Nigeria address the COVID challenge and what will you need to do to address future epidemics and pandemics?
Nigeria’s initial response to the COVID crisis was lacklustre and uninspiring, but her efforts when compared to those of bigger and better-developed Western countries were not that poor.
What was lacking was experts who were proactive and could prioritize; people who understood how to manage complex emergencies. There were evident critical gaps in response capacity. We will address such gaps by putting in place a national resilience strategy.
Do you think that government needs to be slimmed down?
Certainly. We have a bloated federal bureaucracy; hence we are spending more on recurrent expenses. And we are borrowing frivolously. I am not against loans per se; but we must stop borrowing for consumption. All loans must be invested in regenerative projects. We must operate within available resources and strive for a balanced national budget as cost-saving measures. Ending the leakages including the subsidy regime and improving our tax regime should do the magic.
In a Presidential system Presidents often find that they are hamstrung by the legislature especially when that body is dominated by members of opposition parties. How will you handle the National Assembly in this regard?
Presidential power as we know is the power of persuasion. Members of the National Assembly have a vested interest in making their constituencies work. Their respective constituencies invariably form the presidential or national constituency. Policies that present win-win scenarios for national and federal constituencies will definitely attract bi-partisan support.
Do you have any plans to address the issue of the humongous salaries and allowances earned by the National Assembly?
Simply, we have to cut costs. There are no two ways about it.
The structure and size of the civil service remain a major constraint for development in the country how do you plan to deal with the issue?
Lack of political will and lack of synergy between the Executive and Legislative arms has resulted in costly inertia in tackling our oversized government. The result is persisting turf fights and competition among several overlapping agencies, and the resultant wastages. Cost-cutting measures must start with rationalization and harmonization. Pruning the size of the government will be imperative.
The Oronsaye committee report of April 2012, recommended the abolition and merger of 102 government agencies and parastatals, while some were listed to be self-funding. What was called for was extreme but practical rationalization measures.
Will you be implementing the Oronsaye report?
That is affirmative. That is the only way to make governance efficient, cost-effective and productive.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has upheld a Federal High Court judgment restraining the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from recognising state congresses conducted by committees appointed by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In a split decision of two to one, the three-member panel affirmed the earlier ruling of the Federal High Court, holding that the congresses organised under the caretaker committee violated an existing court order.
Justice Okon Abang, who delivered the lead judgment, ruled that there was no basis to set aside the restraining order issued by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik on April 29.
The appellate court also upheld the lower court’s decision barring the caretaker leadership from interfering with the functions and tenure of the party’s duly elected state executive committees.
According to the court, the ADC Constitution vests the responsibility for conducting state congresses in the elected state executive committees, not the national caretaker leadership.
Justice Donatus Okorowo concurred with the lead judgment, while Justice Abba Mohammed dissented, arguing that the matter was an internal affair of the political party and therefore outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The suit was filed by aggrieved members of the ADC, who challenged the legality of committees established by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership to conduct state congresses. They argued that the appointments breached the party’s constitution, insisting that only duly elected party organs had the authority to organise state congresses.
In its earlier ruling, the Federal High Court held that the four-year tenure of the ADC’s State Working Committees and State Executive Committees remained valid until fresh congresses and a national convention were properly conducted.
Justice Abdulmalik further ruled that neither the 1999 Constitution nor the ADC Constitution empowered the caretaker committee to appoint committees to conduct state congresses.
While noting that courts generally refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of political parties, the judge held that judicial intervention is justified where constitutional or statutory provisions are alleged to have been breached.
Affirming the lower court’s decision, the Court of Appeal declared the state congresses and national convention conducted by the David Mark-led caretaker leadership null and void for being carried out in defiance of an existing court order.
The appellate court stressed that once a dispute raises constitutional issues, it ceases to be merely an internal party matter and becomes subject to judicial review.
Consequently, the court dismissed the ADC’s appeal, upheld all the orders of the Federal High Court, and awarded ₦10 million in costs against the party.
By Chinedu Sabastine
A pro-Yoruba women group, operating under the banner of Yoruba Women in Politics (YWIP), has applauded the Deputy National Chairman (South) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Benjamin Obi Nwoye, for strengthening the party across the Southern part of Nigeria barely three months he assumed office.
They said: “Dr. Benjamin Obi Nwoye is a very honest and open person. He has done considerably well,” the group said.
He was also praised for displaying high democratic ideals and delivering electoral victories for the ruling party in Southern Nigeria.
Chairperson of the women group Mrs. Dorothy Akinyele, in a statement issued in Akure, the Ondo state capital on Saturday applauded Nwoye “for his loyalty, strength of character, and consistency of purpose to the cause of democracy.”
They expressed delight and satisfaction “with the high degree of determination so far exhibited by Nwoye to applying the principle of fair play in treating all party members and asserting independence and neutrality in most cases.”
The highly revered South West women body also commended Nwoye “for deepening the party’s structures in the South-west, South-South and South-East, empowering women and youth and building a stronger APC and a more inclusive future for Nigeria.”
In particular, the women lauded Nwoye “for mobilizing support for President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general election, preserving the progressive ideals upon which the APC was built and curtailing the abuse of democratic norms in the ruling party.”
According to them, “Dr. Benjamin Obi Nwoye is level headed, has milk of human kindness flowing in his veins and committed to the success of President Tinubu and the party in 2027 and beyond,” YWIP said.
It therefore, described Dr. Nwoye as “the influential exponent of national unity,” extolling him for ensuring a smooth internal
Democratic process in his home state Enugu, the coal city state.
The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has dismissed a public debate challenge from the Minister of Works, Dave Umahi, saying the minister must first become a presidential candidate before seeking such an engagement.
Obi made the remark during an interview with media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo, where he responded to Umahi’s challenge following his criticism of the condition of Nigerian road.
The former Anambra State governor argued that presidential debates are reserved for candidates seeking the nation’s highest office, insisting that Umahi does not fit that category.
According to Obi, the controversy over the poor state of the roads had already produced results, noting that his criticism prompted repairs.
“If he is inviting me to a debate as a presidential candidate, then he has to become a presidential candidate first,” Obi said.
Drawing an analogy with international football, the NDC presidential flagbearer likened Umahi’s challenge to a team that failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cup inviting a qualified team to a match.“The World Cup is going on now. You cannot stay outside and invite a team that qualified for the World Cup to come and play against you simply because you think you are good. No. There is a qualification process,” he added.
Obi maintained that leadership should be measured by performance rather than rhetoric, suggesting that the repairs carried out after his criticism underscored the importance of holding public officials accountable.
His response comes days after Umahi declared that Obi posed no political threat to President Bola Tinubu or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), while challenging him to a public debate over the state of federal roads and infrastructure across the country.
Ada Ogbu, who made the clarification in a statement posted on her official X account on Saturday, was responding to Keyamo’s ultimatum demanding that Obi apologise to airport officials, pay a ₦25,000 parking fine or face action by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).Executive Branch
Ogbu, who described herself as an eyewitness, maintained that she was among those who accompanied Obi to the airport on Saturday, July 4, and categorically denied the minister’s claim that the politician was driven by a police officer.
“As a member of the team that accompanied His Excellency @PeterObi to the Abuja airport on Saturday, July 4, I can state categorically that he does not have a police officer as his driver in Abuja. Therefore, if airport CCTV captured a police officer entering the driver’s seat of a vehicle, that vehicle could not have been Mr. Obi’s,” she stated.
She further argued that the incident highlighted by Keyamo was different from the one Obi narrated during his interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo.
According to her, Obi’s frequent travels across the country have exposed him and his aides to repeated hostile treatment by airport personnel.Government
“It is also important to note that Mr. Obi travels through as many as ten Nigerian airports every week. Over time, there have been several acts of hostility directed at him and members of his team by airport personnel across different locations,” Ogbu said.
She concluded that the aviation minister had referenced an entirely separate incident.
“Based on the account shared by the Honourable Minister, it is clear that the incident Mr. Obi referenced during his interview with @Chude did not occur on the date or at the airport cited by the Minister. They are plainly two different incidents.”
Her reaction comes hours after Keyamo released CCTV-based findings from an internal inquiry into the airport incident, insisting Obi must publicly apologise to airport workers and pay the prescribed parking fine within one week or risk further action by FAAN.
President Bola Tinubu on Friday formally retained Vice President Kashim Shettima as his running mate for the 2027 presidential election.
This was as political parties made last-minute moves to beat the Independent National Electoral Commission’s deadline for the submission of presidential and National Assembly candidates.
The ruling All Progressives Congress presented the nomination forms of Tinubu and Shettima to its National Chairman, Prof. Nentawe Yilwatda, in Abuja for onward transmission to INEC, effectively ending months of speculation that the President could replace his deputy with a northern Christian.
The development came as INEC confirmed that it had received the presidential and vice-presidential nominations of the African Democratic Congress, Nigeria Democratic Congress, Social Democratic Party, Action Alliance, African Action Congress, Peoples Redemption Party and Young Progressives Party.
Meanwhile, several other political parties continued uploading the names of their candidates ahead of the commission’s Saturday midnight deadline.
The electoral commission had fixed July 11, 2026, as the deadline for political parties to upload the nomination forms of their presidential and National Assembly candidates through its online nomination portal in accordance with Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.
The submission exercise, which commenced on June 27, covers Forms EC9 and EC9A to EC9E for presidential, vice-presidential, Senate and House of Representatives candidates.
According to the timetable released by the commission, political parties are expected to begin uploading the names of governorship and State House of Assembly candidates from July 18, with the exercise ending on August 8.
INEC is scheduled to publish the personal particulars of presidential and National Assembly candidates on August 1, while those of governorship and state assembly candidates will be displayed on August 29 to allow members of the public raise objections where necessary.
The commission also fixed August 22 as the deadline for the withdrawal and substitution of presidential and National Assembly candidates, while governorship and state assembly candidates have until September 19 for withdrawal or replacement in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act.
The July 11 deadline marks one of the most critical stages in the build-up to the 2027 general elections, as only candidates validly nominated by political parties through primaries monitored by INEC are eligible for submission.
The commission had repeatedly warned political parties against submitting the names of candidates different from those who emerged from duly monitored primaries, insisting that any nomination outside the provisions of the Electoral Act and its regulations would be rejected.
Against this backdrop, the APC used Friday’s presentation ceremony to publicly affirm its presidential ticket, signalling that it would head into the 2027 contest without altering the Muslim-Muslim ticket that secured victory in the 2023 presidential election.
Following President Tinubu’s emergence as the APC’s presidential candidate during the party’s convention, political discussions had intensified over whether the President would retain Shettima or opt for another running mate to broaden the party’s electoral appeal.
Those speculations gathered momentum in recent months amid reports that the ruling party was considering a northern Christian as vice-presidential candidate to address concerns over religious balancing.
Friday’s submission, however, ended the uncertainty, with the APC formally presenting Tinubu and Shettima as its flag bearers for the 2027 election.
The nomination documents were presented on behalf of the President by his Special Adviser on Political Matters, Ibrahim Masari, during a ceremony attended by members of the Progressive Governors’ Forum, the National Assembly, the Federal Executive Council, the APC National Working Committee, state chairmen of the party and APC governorship candidates.
Earlier, the APC National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, described the event as the formal presentation of the duly completed nomination forms of the party’s presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
Argungu noted that President Tinubu had earlier secured the party’s presidential ticket through what he described as a transparent primary election, and urged party members to remain united ahead of the 2027 polls.
He also commended the President for what he described as the achievements of his administration before formally handing over the nomination documents to the APC National Chairman for onward submission to INEC.
Speaking on behalf of APC governors, Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, reaffirmed the governors’ support for President Tinubu and the party leadership.
“We are delighted that this event is coming after a well-organised and thoroughly supervised primary process. We reiterate our commitment to continue supporting President Tinubu and the party,” he said.
Uzodimma said the APC remained committed to internal democracy and inclusiveness, adding that the governors would continue mobilising support for the President across the country.
“We will continue to support him in the larger interest of Nigerians and to take the country to greater heights. To the National Working Committee, we reaffirm our support. Together, we are going to deliver victory for President Tinubu and ensure the party wins all elective positions, including the National and State Assemblies,” he added.
Receiving the nomination forms, APC National Chairman, Prof. Yilwatda, described the event as a reflection of the confidence reposed in President Tinubu by millions of party members across the country.
According to him, the President’s endorsement by members of the party demonstrated widespread support for his administration and its policies.
He stated, “Today is a reflection of the wishes of over 12 million members of the APC who overwhelmingly voted for Mr. President as the party’s candidate for the 2027 presidential election. We are proud that APC members across the country cast over 12 million votes for Mr. President and overwhelmingly endorsed him.
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