The Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi was among top politicians that attended the official opening of Governor Seyi Makinde’s 2027 presidential campaign office in Abuja on Monday.
Makinde is the presidential candidate of Allied Peoples Movement.
Obi’s attendance came as political parties and their presidential candidates intensify preparations and realignments ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The former Anambra State governor, who described Makinde as qualified to contest the presidency, said political competition should not be driven by desperation, urging Nigerians to freely choose their preferred candidate.
He said whoever emerges victorious through a free, fair and credible election should receive the support of other political actors to enable the country confront its economic and security challenges.
“What we are doing today is to show you that, for us, we don’t have desperation. We want the people of Nigeria to make their choice. Whoever they choose, all of us will come together to build a new Nigeria,” Obi said.
He lamented the hardship and insecurity facing Nigerians, saying the country could not continue on its current path.
“We can’t all continue the way we are going today. Our people are hungry. Our people are poor. Our people are insecure. Whoever wins, genuinely, from a free, fair and credible election, we all want to work together to save this country from collapse,” he added.
Obi said political disagreements should be centred on finding solutions to the country’s challenges rather than personal quarrels among politicians.
“We don’t want politics of quarrel, politics of disagreement. Let our quarrel be to feed our people. Let our quarrel be to pull our people out of poverty,” he said.
He added that his vision was for a Nigeria where citizens could achieve their aspirations regardless of their backgrounds or connections.
“We want a Nigeria where a child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody. That’s what we want. And all of us will work as a family,” Obi said.
Makinde, who is seeking the presidency on the APM platform, is among the politicians preparing for the 2027 contest. Other prominent contenders include former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, who is running on the platform of the African Democratic Congress.
