From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Former Anambra State governor Peter Obi says he is not chasing the presidency for its own sake, insisting that his ambition rests on a single conviction: that Nigeria can be made to work. In a Sunday interview on Channels Television, Obi addressed the questions that have trailed his candidacy, including whether an Igbo man can unite a country still carrying the scars of the civil war, whether his politics has courted ethnic sentiment, and whether the intensity of the Obidient movement has hardened rather than healed divisions.
He pointed to his record in office and out of it, citing condolence visits to Borno at the height of the Boko Haram insurgency, flood relief, boreholes in Gombe and Kaduna, an almajiri school in Bauchi, and sponsorship of both Christian pilgrims and Hajj travellers, as evidence that his commitment to national integration predates the campaign. He also signalled that 2027 will likely be his final run, saying the younger generation must eventually take over.
You have been talking about fixing Nigeria. Is it that if you do not become president in 2027, then you are done with politics?
That is not the idea. I have always said that I am not desperate to be president of Nigeria. I am desperate to see Nigeria work. If Nigeria is working, I will support whatever makes it work.
I want to see a country where a child of nobody can become somebody without hurting anybody. I want to see a country where we can pull people out of poverty, where young people have opportunities to live, get jobs, build their lives and participate in what young people are doing all over the world.
So it does not matter whether Peter Obi is president or not. As long as Nigeria is good, I am fine with it. In whatever capacity I am able to help, whether as a minister or as president, that is fine. I do not need to hold any position. I am contesting because I believe I can fix Nigeria. I believe I can unite the country and show an example of what is possible.
But there are people who do not believe you have what it takes to unite Nigeria. The former governor of Borno State, Ali Modu Sheriff, said Nigerians should not look in your direction because you will divide the country. How do you react to that?
I will unite Nigeria. I know what it takes to unite Nigeria. If you look at my record, what I have done is positive.
When I was governor of Anambra State and there was the Boko Haram crisis in the North, I travelled to Borno State to offer my condolences when many people were afraid to go there. His brother was killed, and I went to Borno. When there was flooding in Borno, I went there, contributed N15 million, visited the governor, the Shehu of Borno and the IDP camps. I supported affected communities to rebuild schools for their children. I went to IDP camps at Christmas and New Year and supported the people there.
I have done similar things in other parts of the North. I provided boreholes in Gombe, Kaduna and elsewhere. When the Sultan of Sokoto said that some communities needed water for their farms, I responded. I visited schools in Sokoto, even when Sambo was governor. I can go on and on. I have done the same in the South-West, in Kogi and other parts of Nigeria. There is no politician in Nigeria today who has travelled to as many places by road as I have. I have travelled from Kafanchan to Katsina, to Ibadan and everywhere in between. I do that because I want to understand the country. So for anybody to say that I will divide Nigeria, I think my record speaks for itself.
Some argue the issue is deeper than physical presence. They point to the civil war and the fact that parts of the country have not fully healed. Is Nigeria ready for an Igbo man from Anambra to become president?
The foundation of healing is unity. That is where you start building the momentum for healing. We cannot continue to be trapped in yesterday. Those who are trapped in the problems of yesterday must begin to think about the future. I want a Nigerian child to grow up in Nigeria, go to school and live his or her life without thinking about tribe, religion or the events of yesterday, but simply as a Nigerian who belongs to this country. That is what I am offering Nigerians. I will never divide Nigeria. I will unite Nigeria. I will show love to every part of the country and make sure things are done differently, because I will involve everybody.
South Africa had a formal reconciliation process after apartheid. Does Nigeria need a similar moment where citizens sit down and confront the past before moving forward?
As I have said, my presidency will heal and unite Nigeria. That is what I stand for. The actions of the president will show what we are going to do. It is not necessarily about setting up a committee or making declarations. Leadership itself must demonstrate unity, fairness and inclusion.
The generation of Nigerians who are 20 or 30 years old today did not experience the civil war. They should not be forced to inherit the divisions and bitterness of that period. We must look forward and build a country where everyone has a sense of belonging.
You have also been accused of labelling northerners. How do you respond?
I have never labelled the North. When I was governor of Anambra State, many of the commissioners who served with me were Muslims. Some of my closest staff were from the North. As governor, I supported both Christians and Muslims to undertake pilgrimages. I paid for Christians to go on pilgrimage and supported Muslims to go on Hajj.
Today, even outside government, I am supporting schools in the North, including an almajiri school in Bauchi and a Muslim school of nursing. I have also supported projects in Kaduna and other parts of the North. So how can anyone say that I am against northerners?
Are there things you regret, particularly the optics of your politics and how you have sometimes been portrayed as an ethnic jingoist?
That is a narrative some people have created. Instead of discussing the problems facing Nigeria, they keep discussing Peter Obi. That is not the issue. The real issue is the condition of Nigeria. The World Bank has said that a very large proportion of Nigerians are facing poverty. In a country of more than 200 million people, that means millions of Nigerians are struggling. That is what we should be discussing: poverty, insecurity, unemployment, education, healthcare, and how to build a country that works for everybody.
My concern is Nigeria. I want to see a country where every citizen, regardless of where they come from or what religion they practise, has an opportunity to succeed. That is the Nigeria I want to build.
What exactly would unity mean under a Peter Obi presidency?
Unity means that every Nigerian will feel that Nigeria belongs to him or her. It means nobody should wake up and think that because he is from a particular tribe or religion, he does not have a place in this country. It means the child of a poor man should have the same opportunity to become successful as the child of a rich man. It means people should be judged by competence, character, capacity, compassion and commitment, rather than by where they come from. You cannot unite Nigeria by simply telling people that they are united. You must create the conditions that make people feel united. If a young man in the North has no school, no job and no hope, and another person elsewhere has opportunities, you cannot tell the first person that Nigeria is united. Unity must have an economic foundation.
So poverty is also a threat to national unity?
Absolutely. Poverty is a major source of insecurity and instability. If you have a young person with no job, no opportunity and no hope, you are creating an environment where criminality can thrive. That is why I keep saying we must invest massively in education, healthcare and the productive sectors of the economy. We must create jobs. We must move from consumption to production. We must give young people the opportunity to work, earn a decent income and contribute to society. If you give people hope, you reduce the incentive for them to embrace criminality.
What would you say to a northerner still unsure whether an Igbo man can be trusted with the presidency?
I would tell that person that I understand the North. I have travelled through it. I have visited its communities. I have seen the poverty, the schools, the hospitals. I have visited IDP camps. I understand that the North has enormous potential, but also enormous challenges. I know there is massive poverty that needs to be addressed. I know there are educational challenges. I know that security must be improved. I will work closely with people in the North. I will ensure that the unity, security and prosperity they desire are achieved. I will not come as an Igbo president. I will come as a Nigerian president. That is the distinction.
What does that distinction mean in practical terms?
It means I will not govern on the basis of ethnicity. If I become president, the person from Sokoto will be as important as the person from Anambra. The person from Borno will be as important as the person from Lagos. The person from Kano will be as important as the person from Rivers. Everybody will have a stake.
I have always said that every Nigerian is important. Nobody is more Nigerian than another person. We must stop measuring people’s worth by ethnicity, religion or political connections.
Critics would say these are easy declarations to make during a campaign. What evidence is there that you can actually govern that way?
My record as governor of Anambra State is the evidence. I worked with people who did not belong to my political party. My House of Assembly members were largely from the opposition. Politicians from different parties came to Anambra to campaign against me. I did not fight them. I worked with them. When people came to campaign against me, I welcomed them. I accompanied some of them. I even hosted some of them. That is how democracy should work. You cannot build a country by treating your political opponent as an enemy.
You have said you want strong opposition parties. Why does that matter to you?
A strong opposition is essential to democracy. The opposition should not be treated as an enemy of the state. I want opposition parties to function properly. I want them to have the freedom to choose their candidates and organise themselves. The regulator’s responsibility should be to ensure free, fair and credible elections, not to interfere unnecessarily in the internal affairs of political parties.
When you have strong opposition parties, government becomes more accountable. If I become president, I will encourage opposition parties. I want people to challenge me when I am wrong. I want them to bring ideas. I want to invite opposition leaders to discuss Nigeria with me.
What would you do differently to ensure political differences do not translate into national division?
Leadership must bring people together. If there is a crisis in the North, I will not sit in Abuja and simply issue a statement. I will invite opposition leaders, stakeholders and community leaders, and we will go there. We will sit down and find a solution. That is leadership. You cannot lead Nigeria by staying in one place and expecting people to solve problems for you. When there is a problem, you go there, you see it, and you understand it.
You have been criticised for the intensity of some of your supporters. Some say sections of the Obidient movement can be intolerant of opposing views. Have you done enough to discourage political hostility among them?
The Obidient movement is not simply a political structure. The real Obidient movement consists of people who are tired of the status quo and do not like what is happening in Nigeria. They want change. Even when I take decisions, some of them criticise me. Some have been very angry with my positions on certain issues. You have to understand their frustration. They have seen what is happening in other parts of the world. They know Nigeria can do better. I travel and see the world; I see what other countries are doing. When people see the difference between what is possible elsewhere and what they experience here, they become frustrated. But the goal should not be hostility. The goal should be to build a better country.
Why is visiting communities affected by insecurity and floods so important to you?
Because leadership is about being present. How many politicians have you seen going to places where there has been a bomb attack? How many go to IDP camps? How many go to communities affected by floods? I have gone to places where there were floods. I have gone to places where there were explosions. I have gone to communities affected by insecurity. When there is a problem, I want to be there. I do not want to sit in Abuja and ask somebody else to tell me what happened. I want to see it myself. That is how you understand the problems people are facing.
What would be your immediate priorities if elected president?
My first priorities would be to unite the country, secure it, and restore the rule of law. Nigeria is divided today along economic, religious and other lines. We must remove those divisions and show people that we are one. Secondly, the country must be secured. People must be able to sleep in their homes and travel from one part of Nigeria to another without fear. Thirdly, we must return Nigeria to a country where there is rule of law and order, where people know that if something happens to them, they can go to court and obtain justice. After that, we must commence a serious development path, investing massively in education, healthcare, agriculture, manufacturing and the productive sectors.
What role would education play in your vision?
Education is fundamental. You cannot develop a country without educating its people. We must invest massively, not just by building structures, but by ensuring that schools have the facilities, teachers, technology and learning environment necessary to produce productive citizens.
The same applies to healthcare. Primary healthcare must receive serious attention. We need to invest in the health of our people, because you cannot have a productive population if people are sick and cannot access affordable healthcare.
How does moving Nigeria from consumption to production fit into your vision for national unity?
Production creates jobs. If you produce what you consume, you create employment. If you produce more than you consume, you can export.
Nigeria has enormous land and agricultural potential. We can produce rice, maize, cassava, cocoa, coffee, tea and many other products, and we can develop manufacturing around them. Agriculture can provide food, raw materials for industries and export opportunities. When young people are employed and earning decent incomes, they have hope. That is how you fight poverty. That is how you reduce criminality. That is how you strengthen national unity.
What would you want Nigerians to remember you for?
I want to be remembered for turning Nigeria around and putting it on the right path to growth and development. I want Nigerians to say that we finally began to do things differently. I want to leave a country where the child of nobody can become somebody without hurting anybody. I want to leave a country where young people have opportunities. I want to leave a country where people are not judged by tribe or religion. I want to leave a country that works.
If you lose in 2027, would that be the end of your presidential ambition?
I will not say what will happen. It depends on who wins. But I can tell you that I am coming to the end of it, because I believe younger people should be allowed to take over. By the time this election ends, I will be around 68 or 69. If you add another eight years, I would be around 78 or 79. I do not think I would have the same energy I have today. Capacity is critical. Leadership requires energy and commitment. So I believe that at some point, the younger generation must take over.
Finally, imagine it is your inauguration day. What would your first day look like?
It would be a day of deep reflection. I would reflect on the enormous responsibility that has been given to me. But the actions I would take have already been stated. One of the first would be to cut the cost of governance. Nigeria has too much waste in governance. We need to reduce that waste and redirect resources towards education, healthcare, security, infrastructure and the productive sectors. The resources of government belong to the people. If the people are suffering, leadership must also make sacrifices. You cannot ask people to sacrifice while you are living extravagantly. If you ask Nigerians to fast, you must fast with them. If you ask them to sacrifice, you must sacrifice with them. That is leadership. I want to lead by example. I want to show Nigerians that government can be different. And ultimately, I want to unite the country and put Nigeria on the path of sustainable development.
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