Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has urged Nigerian politicians to shift their attention from political manoeuvring ahead of 2027 and instead focus on governance and the welfare of the people.
Speaking on Friday at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport in Calabar after engaging with dentistry students at the University of Calabar, Obi emphasised the urgent need to prioritise development over endless political discourse.
“We must stop discussing politics and start discussing the development of the people,” he said. “We need to invest in measurable areas such as education and health, and in lifting people out of poverty. We cannot achieve any of this without investing in the people.”
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, stressed that public service must be centred on the needs of the citizenry. He criticised the current culture of excessive spending on political office holders while basic educational and healthcare infrastructure remains underfunded.
“We cannot have a society where we spend millions to buy cars for political office holders, while young people are struggling to access quality education in classrooms without chairs,” he said. “Politicians living like stars in a nation where people are suffering is unacceptable — we must dismantle that system.”
The former governor donated ₦20 million to the University of Calabar’s Dentistry Department for the purchase of five dental chairs and called on other well-meaning Nigerians to support the students in acquiring 10 additional units. He also encouraged the students to take their education seriously, describing it as their “greatest asset in life” and vital for competing in a global society.
Although Obi is part of the opposition coalition that includes figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai housed under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), he deliberately steered away from comments on politics during his visit.
“I don’t want to talk about politics,” he said. “2027 is not what I want to talk about. Let me talk about how the average Nigerian can put food on his table, how children can stay in school, how our primary and secondary schools can function, and how the common man can go to the hospital and receive proper treatment. When 2027 comes, we will be there — and I will surely contest.”
