Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has reassured supporters that he will work closely with his vice-presidential candidate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, to move the country forward if elected in 2027.
Obi gave the assurance on Thursday during a town hall meeting in Enugu, where he engaged supporters and stakeholders on the country’s challenges and his vision for national development.
The former Anambra State governor said he and Kwankwaso would work together to tackle insecurity and restore safety across Nigeria, promising that securing lives and property would be a priority of his administration. He regretted that the current administration had failed to protect the lives and property of Nigerians, which he maintained was the primary responsibility of government.
Obi assured voters in the South East to back him because of his competence and ability to tackle the challenges facing the nation, challenged other presidential candidates to meet and discuss their plans, and warned the people not to be deceived by rhetoric and propaganda.
On education, Obi said he would declare a state of emergency on education to tackle the issue of out-of-school children head-on, insisting that Nigerian children deserved quality education.
Kwankwaso, in his remarks, advised that nobody should be deceived by ethnicity. “It’s obvious that Nigerians are going through numerous difficulties,” he said, lamenting that people were facing insecurity, unemployment, poverty, hunger and many other challenges. He explained that the only solution to achieve a new Nigeria was unity, diligence, perseverance and willingness.
The former Kano State governor urged Nigerians to come out en masse to cast, protect and follow up on their votes until results were announced, noting that it was not a one-man show but a collective responsibility.
The Enugu gathering carried extra weight. The event had been preceded by a dispute over its venue, which the NDC said was withdrawn at short notice despite an earlier booking, an allegation the party framed as an attempt to frustrate the meeting. It went ahead regardless, drawing a large turnout of supporters.
Senator Victor Umeh, representing Anambra Central in the National Assembly, praised the resilience of supporters who, he said, ensured the meeting held despite the reported attempts to frustrate it, and described the Obi-Kwankwaso pairing as the “best presidential ticket” to lead Nigeria.
Umeh expressed confidence that the South East would rally behind Obi in 2027, urging the people to remain resolute and resist attempts to intimidate or discourage them from pursuing their political choice. He also praised Kwankwaso for his efforts to build support in Northern Nigeria, expressed optimism that the ticket could attract votes across the country, and urged the region to unite behind the project and make a strong political statement with their votes in 2027.
The Enugu town hall is one of the opening moves of a campaign that began in earnest this week, with the ruling party flagging off its own drive in Kaduna on Saturday. The pairing of the two former governors, one anchored in the South East and the other a force in Kano, is the clearest signal yet of how the opposition intends to assemble a national coalition, and Thursday’s show of unity was designed to answer the question that has followed the ticket since its formation: whether the partnership would hold.