If you did not listen to Mr. Peter Obi on Arise TV today, @Fred Chukwuelobe has patiently and masterfully broken down the encounter with the Anambra State former governor. He distilled the interview by extracting the exact portions of Obi’s speech that reveal the true workings of his mind.
By Fred Chukwuelobe, fnipr
I watched the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC), Peter Obi, sit down with Arise Television anchor, Ojy Okpe, to take questions on the 2027 presidential election. My first reaction was to commend Okpe for her tough questions, especially for getting Obi to commit himself to answering all her questions. Indeed, he kept to that commitment.
In the pre-recorded interview, Obi answered questions on various issues concerning the coming 2027 presidential election, as well as some of his past utterances and political choices.
I am sure many people tuned in to watch. And I am equally sure that the Presidency must have paid close attention to what he said and will respond shortly.
For me, these are the key areas that caught my attention:
“I will concede defeat in 2027 if the election is free, fair and credible.”
On the 1966 coup which killed prominent Northern leaders:
“Mistakes were made. We should not continue to dwell on that. We must move on by showing love and unity. It happened in Rwanda and they overcame it, and look at where they are today. My presidency will unite Nigeria because I believe in one Nigeria.”
On leadership:
“I will be in charge and I will not run government by proxy. I will be answerable to the people.”
On new projects, especially roads:
“We will not build new roads until we fix the existing ones.”
On vacation overseas:
“I will spend my vacation in Nigeria, even if it means going to conflict zones.”
On the possibility of stepping down for Atiku Abubakar:
“We have gone past that stage. It’s not about me but about the parties coming together, like in a corporation, to sit down and plan how to cooperate to win the election.”
On why he accepted the vice-presidential ticket in 2023 and has refused to accept it now:
“That’s in the past. Those who think about yesterday and today will miss tomorrow.”
On those who said they are prepared to die to defend their votes:
“I encourage them to defend their votes and I’m prepared to die with them if that becomes necessary.”
On how to check vote manipulation:
“I won’t set up a parallel INEC but will make sure that in every polling unit we have a system that transmits results in real time to our Situation Room.”
On armed thugs in 2023:
“What happened was that we believed INEC. We trusted them because they promised to do the right things but instead worked for our opponents.”
On subsidy on petroleum products:
“I will first remove the corruption in the supply chain to see if truly there is subsidy.”
On his promise to serve one term of four years:
“I will not spend one extra day. Four years is enough to engender change and I did it as Governor of Anambra State. What is required is the selection of priorities, appointing qualified and credible people, and working with them as a team.”
On his relationship with the North:
“I will assure them that I’m committed to their future by tapping into the huge arable land that has remained uncultivated, and turn the teeming almajiris into productive life in the farms, making them feed the nation and provide for industries and exports.”
On security:
“I will be effectively in charge and my government will not be reactive. I will lead the fight against terrorism and criminality and will commit the security agencies to flush out criminals wherever they are hiding.
“There’s modern technology that can be deployed to know where they are and to flush them out. I did it as Governor and Evans, the billionaire kidnapper, confirmed that they ran away on account of that.”
On what he will do on the first day in office if elected:
“I will appoint competent people and give decisive instructions and ensure consultation with stakeholders in key areas to be tackled.
“I will not sit in Abuja but will be at the forefront, visiting areas of conflict and discussing with the people affected on the best ways to resolve the conflict.”
“I want to build a new Nigeria that is possible.” Mr. Peter Obi.
These, for me, were the major points that stood out from the interview. Whether one agrees with Peter Obi or not, these are issues Nigerians will have to interrogate carefully as the country moves towards 2027.
(c) Fred Chukwuelobe, fnipr