2027: I’m Qualified, Ready To Fix Nigeria In 4 Years – Peter Obi

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 elections, Peter Obi, has declared that he can change Nigeria’s trajectory within four years if given the mandate to lead the country in 2027.

Obi made this known while addressing journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, where he also confirmed that he would contest the presidency again in the next general election.

“I am contesting, and I am sure I will be on the ballot,” he said. “People will have to look at who is competing, who has the capacity, who has everything. I think I am qualified; I have the capacity to do the job. In four years, I can change the trajectory of Nigeria to a positive one.”

The former Anambra State Governor expressed confidence in his competence, describing himself as a leader capable of delivering the reforms needed to stabilise the country.

There has been widespread speculation about Obi’s political direction after his name appeared among opposition figures aligned with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under a new coalition.

However, the former governor clarified that he remains a member of the Labour Party (LP), while maintaining close collaboration with other opposition leaders to build a united front against poor governance.

“All of us are going to come together as a people. That is my belief — that for us to do the right thing for the country, all well-meaning Nigerians must come together now to rescue the country,” he said.

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Obi criticised the growing obsession with political manoeuvring and defections, saying the welfare of citizens should be the centre of national debate, not political survival.

He lamented that 139 million Nigerians currently live in poverty, yet political discussions dominate public space while the poor are forgotten.

“We talk too much about politics when we should be discussing the plight of Nigerians,” he said. “The well-being of the people should come before personal ambition.”

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The former governor also condemned the recent wave of defections to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), including those of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri.

“We are not in a military time when you capture people,” Obi said.

He, however, described Governor Mbah as a friend, noting that every leader must make choices based on personal conviction and political calculation.

“I believe that as governor, he must have taken his decision based on his own political views and calculations,” he added.

Dismissing claims that the South-East region could be politically “captured” by the ruling party, Obi argued that leadership in a democracy must be based on persuasion, not coercion.

“You can’t capture the South-East. Leadership in democracy is about persuasion, not force,” he maintained.

Obi, who emerged as a third-force candidate in the 2023 general election, finished third behind President Bola Tinubu of the APC and Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, but gained significant youth support and redefined Nigeria’s opposition politics.

Since then, Peter Obi has remained one of the most prominent voices advocating for transparency, accountability, and economic reform.