The Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress(NDC), Peter Obi, on Thursday, 10 September, 2026 urged Nigerians not to allow ethnic considerations to dominate the 2027 presidential election.
His statement comes amid growing political debates over regional calculations, zoning and the geographical distribution of presidential support ahead of the 2027 election.
Obi, a former Anambra State governor, who stated this during an interview with Arise Television aired on Thursday said Nigerians should judge political candidates and their programmes on the basis of what they could offer the country rather than their ethnic backgrounds.
“Our election should not be driven by tribalism,” the NDC candidate said.
Obi also sought to reassure Nigerians in the North that his political ambitions were not targeted at any region, stressing that he remained committed to the development of the region.
Obi, while addressing historical grievances linked to Nigeria’s political history, particularly attempts to associate him with the 1966 military coup, said he was only four years old when the event occurred.
“I am committed to the future of the North. I believe the North has so much to offer Nigeria. As a country, we can make more money from agriculture than we do from oil.
“There were regrettable things that happened in our collective history. I was not personally involved in those sad events, but it is time to show love and pursue unity in Nigeria. We must not dwell on the past. We can only build through love”.
Obi’s statement was also an appeal for Nigerians to move beyond historical grievances and focus on issues that could unite the country.
In the interview, Obi argued that agriculture represented one of the major areas through which Nigeria could expand its economic base, particularly in the North, where large areas of land and agricultural potential remain available.
His comments form part of his broader argument that Nigeria must increase domestic production and reduce its dependence on oil and imported goods.
The NDC Presidential Candidate also criticised the practice of Nigerian presidents spending their holidays abroad, saying an elected president should remain in the country and use such periods to engage directly with citizens.
Obi said he would mandate domestic vacations for the President if elected, arguing that the country’s leader should use the opportunity to visit areas facing serious security and developmental challenges.
“Nigeria’s President must spend his vacation in Nigeria. We cannot continue with this nonsense. Where do other countries’ own leaders spend their vacations?
“Nigeria’s President should go to Zamfara, to Borno, to Anambra, to anywhere. As President of Nigeria, I will visit other countries, but I will not take my holidays there,” he said.
When asked about the security implications of spending vacation time in states affected by insurgency and banditry, particularly Borno, Obi maintained that the President should not use security concerns as a reason to leave Nigeria during holidays.
“It doesn’t matter. Because that’s the country he lives in. That’s why he takes the money to Europe,” Obi declared.
He drew a comparison with political leaders in other countries, arguing that the conduct of a Nigerian president should similarly reflect a strong connection with the country and its people.
“Do you know what it means for the British Prime Minister to say he’s going for vacation in Germany? That will be the end of him,” he said.
Obi also criticised what he described as brief presidential visits to states affected by crises, arguing that the President should spend enough time on the ground to understand the problems and engage the relevant stakeholders.
The NDC candidate said, “A president who has not slept three nights anywhere in Nigeria,” Obi claimed.
He argued that visits to troubled communities should not merely be symbolic or limited to short official engagements but should involve sustained interaction with residents, traditional rulers, state officials and other stakeholders.
“He should go to Benue and say, ‘I’m here for the next three days; I want to see these stakeholders in the state,’” Obi stated.
