Obi: I can fix Nigeria in four years, rejects ‘defection politics’ and South-East ‘capture’ plot

The 2023 Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has declared that he has the capacity to change Nigeria’s trajectory within four years if elected president in 2027.

Obi, who made this known during a media interaction on Wednesday, also confirmed that he will be on the ballot in the next general election, insisting that competence and capacity should guide the choice of the next Nigerian leader.

“I am contesting, and I am sure I will be on the ballot,” the former Anambra governor said during a Channels TV broadcast. “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. I will say it over and over again that, in four years, I can change the trajectory of Nigeria to a positive one.”

Obi, who ran under the Labour Party in 2023, reaffirmed his membership of the party while expressing readiness to work with other opposition leaders under a new coalition, widely expected to use the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform,  to “rescue the country from bad leadership.”

He, however, declined to confirm speculation about rejoining the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), saying, “All well-meaning Nigerians must come together now to rescue the country.”

The former governor criticised what he described as “defection politics” – the recent wave of governors and lawmakers crossing over to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) – saying such moves were driven by personal interest rather than national purpose.

Reacting specifically to the defections of Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah and his Bayelsa counterpart, Douye Diri, to the APC, Obi said the trend was a reflection of Nigeria’s self-serving political culture.

“The people will decide where to go, not governors or senators. No party will capture or win any state just because it has a governor,” he said. “Peter Mbah is a good friend of mine, and I believe that as governor, he must have taken his decision based on his own political views and calculations.”

He dismissed the notion that the South-East region could be politically “captured,” warning that such rhetoric betrays an authoritarian mindset.

“As for the alleged plot to capture the South-East, we are not in a military time when you capture people,” Obi said. “Leadership in a democracy is about persuasion, not coercion. You lead by doing the right things for people to follow you.”

Obi also decried the country’s worsening poverty levels, urging political leaders to focus on improving citizens’ welfare rather than political manoeuvring.

“Why are we not talking about the 139 million people who are poor in this country?” he asked. “That should be the real issue, not who is defecting or which party is capturing where.”

Obi emphasised that his political ambition remains anchored on competence, integrity, and service, vowing to continue championing the cause of ordinary Nigerians.