The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has thrown his weight behind the presidential ambition of Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, declaring that the governor is qualified to become Nigeria’s president.
Obi made the declaration on Monday in Abuja while speaking at the inauguration of Makinde’s presidential campaign, where he expressed solidarity with the Oyo governor and called for a major departure from the politics of division, confrontation and self-interest.
The former Anambra State governor said there should be no question about Makinde’s qualification to occupy the nation’s highest political office, responding in the affirmative when asked whether the Oyo governor was qualified to contest for president.
“We have a candidate who is contesting for president today, my dear brother Makinde. Number one is, is he qualified to be president? Yes, he is qualified,” Obi said.
However, Obi stressed that his appearance at the campaign inauguration should not be interpreted as an attempt to impose Makinde on Nigerians.
According to him, the ultimate decision on who should lead the country must remain with the Nigerian people through a democratic process that is free, fair and credible.
“What we are doing today is to show you, for us, it’s not about the inspiration. We want the people of Nigeria to make their choice,” he said.
Obi argued that Nigeria was at a critical point and could no longer afford to continue with what he described as the prevailing political and economic direction of the country.
He raised concerns over the growing hardship confronting Nigerians, particularly hunger, poverty and inadequate healthcare, warning that the situation was taking a toll on the wellbeing of citizens.
“We want to come together to build a new Nigeria. We can’t continue the way we are going today. Our people are hungry. Our people are poor. Our people are ill,” Obi said.
The NDC presidential candidate also called for greater political maturity among politicians and their supporters, urging them to place the interest and survival of Nigeria above partisan disagreements.
He said the outcome of the 2027 presidential election should be respected if the election is conducted transparently, insisting that Nigerians should unite behind whoever emerges victorious through a genuinely credible electoral process.
“Whoever wins, genuinely, from a free, fair, credible election, all of us want to work together to save this country from collapse,” Obi said.
Obi explained that his decision to attend Makinde’s campaign inauguration was intended to demonstrate solidarity and communicate what he described as a change in the style of political engagement.
He said Nigerian politics should move away from hostility, confrontation and what he described as “policies of war and disagreement,” stressing the need for politicians to work together in the national interest despite their political differences.
“That is why I’m here, to show solidarity, to assure you that we are changing the game. We don’t want policies of war, policies of disagreement,” he said.
According to Obi, political leadership should ultimately be measured by its ability to improve the lives of ordinary Nigerians rather than by the strength of political structures or the influence of individuals.
He said addressing hunger and poverty must become central to the country’s political priorities.
“Let our goal be to feed our people. Let our goal be to pull our people out of poverty,” Obi said.
He further advocated a Nigeria in which citizens, regardless of their family background or political connections, would have the opportunity to achieve success through hard work and merit.
Obi said the country needed to create a system where political connections would no longer determine whether an individual could rise to prominence or achieve meaningful success.
“We want a Nigeria where a child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody. That’s what we want,” he said.
The former Anambra governor’s appearance at the campaign event and his public endorsement of Makinde’s qualification come amid preparations for the 2027 presidential contest, with opposition figures and political groups seeking to build alliances and present alternatives to the ruling political establishment.
While Obi maintained that Nigerians should be allowed to make their own choice at the polls, his remarks signalled his support for Makinde’s presidential bid and his call for a less confrontational political environment ahead of the election.
He maintained that beyond the contest for political power, the overriding responsibility of whoever emerges as president should be to tackle hunger, poverty, poor healthcare and other challenges confronting Nigerians and work towards preventing the country from slipping deeper into crisis.