Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, on Thursday, promised not to spend his holidays outside Nigeria if elected President in the 2027 general elections.
Obi made this pledge in his Independence Day address in Abuja, saying he would spend his four-year tenure to travel across the country, interact with Nigerians and better understand their challenges.
According to him, “As I have always done, I will lead by example. In four years as president of this great nation, I will not spend my holidays outside Nigeria. My holidays will be spent in Zamfara, Borno, Kwara, Ebonyi, Edo, Ekiti and other Nigerian states.
“I want to continue to see Nigeria. I want to know Nigeria. I want to spend time with Nigerians, listen to them, understand their challenges and celebrate their resilience.”
The NDC presidential flagbearer also promised that his administration would make governance measurable and accountable, with emphasis on the welfare and productivity of Nigerians.
“As President of Nigeria, I will make governance measurable, accountable and centred on the welfare and productivity of our people. Within the first year, Nigerians will begin to see the tangible impact of purposeful and effective leadership,” he said.
Obi, who is a former governor of Anambra State, pledged to tackle insecurity, saying farmers would be able to return to their farms while children would return to school and businesses would operate without fear.
He added, “We will confront insecurity decisively so that our farmers can return to their farms, our children can return to school, businesses can operate freely, and families can live without fear.
“No Nigerian should be forced to live in an IDP camp because his or her government has failed to provide security.”
Obi, who said Independence anniversaries should provide opportunities for national reflection, lambasted the All Progressives Congress-led administration, saying Nigeria had continued to face serious challenges despite the promises made in 2023.
He said that the country was grappling with widespread poverty, a large population of out-of-school children and persistent insecurity caused by terrorism, banditry and kidnapping.
“Despite the enormous promises made by the APC-led government in 2023, our nation continues to face deepening challenges across virtually every critical sector of national life,” he said.
He argued that the country’s major challenge was not a lack of resources but the failure of successive leaders to convert those resources into human development, productivity, security and shared prosperity.
The NDC presidential candidate also recounted his recent visit to Sokoto State with his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, where they held consultations on insecurity, poverty, unemployment, drug abuse and out-of-school children.
He said their visit to an internally displaced persons camp in Ramin Kura, within Sokoto metropolis, exposed the hardship faced by thousands of displaced women and children.
Obi said, “Instead, they live as displaced persons in their own country. What we saw in Ramin Kura is not an isolated story. It is a reflection of the suffering experienced, in different forms, across many parts of Nigeria.
“And yet, while ordinary Nigerians struggle with these realities, this present government often behaves as though these problems belong to another country.
“The political leaders have failed our country and, most importantly, we have failed our children. This must change.”
The pledge comes a month after Obi criticised the practice of past and current presidents spending their holidays abroad, saying an elected president should remain in the country and use such periods to engage directly with citizens.
The former Anambra governor 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 send their vacation?
“The 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.”
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.
He also 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.
