The Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Party (NDC) for the 2027 general election, Mr Peter Obi, has identified insecurity and hunger as the greatest threats facing Nigerians.
Obi made the declaration on Friday during the burial service of late Pa Simon Okorie Abaa, father of the NDC senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South Zone, Chief Linus Okorie, held at Isiama Primary School, Onicha Igboeze, in Onicha local government area of Ebonyi State.
He urged the citizens to use the 2027 election to make a statement that enough is enough to hunger and poverty.
According to him, ” the power to ensure credible elections lies with the Nigerian people; the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will only act according to the resolve of the electorate”
He described his relationship with Linus Okorie as long-standing, recalling that they had worked together in the Labour Party before joining the NDC.
“We have worked together before in the Labour Party, and now we are in the NDC; that shows we have a close relationship. We are here today to pay our last respects to his late father.
“I pray that God Almighty, who gave Papa long life and has now called him home, will grant him eternal rest, give the family and all of us the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss,” Obi said.
Speaking on preparations for the 2027 general election, Obi said his confidence was not in INEC alone but in Nigerians’ determination to defend their votes.
“It is not about confidence in INEC; do I still have confidence in the people? Because it is the people that will determine what INEC will do; if the people insist that their votes will count, their votes will count.
“It is for Nigerians to look at what is happening in the country today and ask themselves what the future holds for our children in this enterprise called Nigeria. Are we going to continue in this direction? Anybody talking about changing Nigeria today is making the ultimate sacrifice because we cannot continue like this.”
The former Anambra State governor lamented the worsening economic situation, saying poverty and hunger had reached alarming levels.
“They are saying that about 70 million Nigerians are facing acute hunger; what are we going to do about it? Are we going to continue like this? No, that is not possible,” he added.
On the concerns that opposition supporters may face intimidation and harassment during the elections, Obi said Nigerians were already suffering from economic hardship.
Obi reiterated that every Nigerian was already being harassed by hunger, stating that people are being harassed by the worsening situation in the country.
