Former Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, says he would be on the ballot for the Presidency in 2027, would be willing to do one term in office and would honour any agreement that required him to hand over to the North in 2031.
He said character and integrity mattered more to him than power.
Speaking in an XSpace session tagged #PeterObiOnParallelFacts, which drew over 10,000 live participants and nearly 3,000 audience comments, Obi tackled key national issues.
“If the agreement is one term, I will leave on May 28, 2031 — not even May 29. I am not desperate to be president. I am desperate to see Nigeria work,” Obi said, responding to a question from a user named Balactic.
He stressed that upholding zoning and respecting coalition terms reflects political maturity. He recalled how he stood by zoning principles in Anambra State, even at great personal cost.”
Obi didn’t hold back when asked about President Bola Tinubu’s latest trip to St. Lucia, labelling it “out of touch” and “a misplacement of priorities.”
“You can’t build strong international relations when your domestic house is on fire,” he said, highlighting that St. Lucia — a Caribbean nation with just 180,000 people — has a smaller population than Ajegunle in Lagos.
He pointed out that Nigeria is grappling with mass killings, economic hardship, and security breakdowns, yet the president has spent over 59 days abroad this year.
“We’re losing lives in Niger, Benue, Zamfara… and we’re gallivanting. You can’t travel around the world when people are being buried at home. Leaders must stay and lead from the front,” he declared.
Responding to claims about a possible joint ticket with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in 2027, Obi firmly denied any negotiations on candidacy and stressed the coalition’s real goal: fixing Nigeria.
“If the coalition is about sharing tickets and power for its sake, count me out. I’m not interested. I want a coalition that stops the killings in Borno, puts food on people’s tables, and gets our industries working,” Obi said.
He also dismissed the notion that his supporters were opposed to the merger.
“It’s not about rejection. We’ve never even discussed tickets. It’s about Nigeria first,” he clarified.
Referencing his time as Governor of Anambra State, Obi recounted visiting scenes of tragedy personally — including funerals for unknown victims — and insisted that leaders must feel the pain of the people.
“Leadership is not about flying jets. It’s about compassion,” he said. “If 17 soldiers die in Niger and the president is commissioning parties in Lagos, we’ve lost our humanity.”
He called for a leadership style rooted in humility, service, and responsibility: “I don’t want to be President to decorate my CV. I want to show that leadership can be different — and effective.”
He spoke on the relationship between him and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
“I have not joined any form of discussion on joint tickets including with Atiku. If there is any form of agreement that will restrict me to four years in office, I will comply with the agreement and be ready to leave office by 28th May, 2031,” Obi said on Sunday night when he appeared on X space to answer questions from his supporters.
He acknowledged being involved in coalition talks because of his desire to rescue Nigeria from the drift by aligning with all patriotic Nigerians.
“If the coalition is not about stopping the killings in Benue, Zamfara, how to revive our economy, how to make our industries productive, how to put food on the tables of Nigerians… Count me out. Nigeria is currently at war. We need to do something about it,” Obi said.
He urged Nigerians to see the need to rescue this country with him. “I will bring stability in Nigeria within two years in office. Leaders of Nigeria should sit down in Nigeria and fix Nigeria,” he said.
On the situation in the Labour Party, Obi said they are working around the clock to get INEC to endorse the Nenadi Usman-led Labour Party based on the Supreme Court ruling.
On the rotation of the Presidency between the North and the South, Obi said, “I believe in the rotation of government between North and South. I implemented it in Anambra as a Governor.”
Answering questions on President Tinubu’s visit to St Lucia, Obi noted that “in two years, Tinubu has not spent one night in any state in Nigeria apart from Lagos, yet he is going to spend eight nights in St Lucia, a place smaller than Ajegunle.
“St Lucia is about the size of the 10th largest city of Nigeria, Ilorin. President Tinubu has never slept a night in any state of Nigeria outside Lagos since the assumption of office in 2023. PBAT to stay in St Lucia for 10 days.”
On his preparation for the election, the former presidential candidate remarked, “We will do things differently in 2027. We will follow a non-violent approach and insist that the right thing will be done before the result announcement in Abuja. Our votes in 2027 will count, and we will ensure they count.
“Three things to follow up with in the first 100 days… prioritise on security, education and poverty eradication; cut costs and shun corruption. My family will not be involved in corruption. Funds to be channelled into key critical sectors.
“My Presidency will ensure there is a strong opposition in party politics. There will be no defection of elected officials to other parties when I am in charge.
“Imagine in this country, People are dying in Benue, Borno, [and other parts of the country], and our leaders are commissioning Bus Stops and holidaying.
“To bring order in governance, I will prioritise security, education and pulling people out of poverty. To do this is by cutting the cost of governance and fighting corruption from day one.
“My past speaks loudly for me. Wherever there was an issue in Anambra State, I was there physically. Anybody who wants to serve should be ready to put even their life on the line for the lives of Nigerians. Nobody abroad takes you seriously if you don’t have a stable government.”
