From Seyi Tayese Yenagoa
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu to jettison his ambition for a second term in office, declaring that Nigeria needs a president with energy and capacity to address the country’s mounting challenges.
Obi, advised Tinubu to retire from the race and return home to rest, insisting that the country could no longer afford leadership that, in his assessment, lacked the energy required to govern effectively.
The NDC presidential candidate said this on Friday in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, during the commissioning of the state campaign office and secretariat, where he criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government over poverty, hunger, unemployment, insecurity, poor healthcare and inadequate electricity supply.
Describing the country’s socioeconomic situation as troubling, Obi said millions of Nigerians were struggling to meet their basic needs, while access to essential services such as healthcare, education and employment remained a major challenge.
“Today, we have a country that produces the highest number of poor people in the world. Today, we have a country where our people are hungry. Nigerians don’t know where the next meal will come from,” he said.
He lamented that some Nigerians had resorted to seeking spiritual intervention instead of medical treatment because of inadequate healthcare facilities, adding that the absence of quality schools and employment opportunities had further worsened the situation.
Obi said the NDC was offering Nigerians an alternative political direction anchored on national unity, security, production, accountability and economic opportunities.
“We are telling you that NDC is coming to build a new Nigeria that is possible. We want to move Nigeria from consumption to production. We will start by uniting the country,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor pledged that an NDC administration would tackle insecurity, strengthen public institutions and ensure that Nigerians, irrespective of their ethnic or geographical backgrounds, felt a sense of belonging.
He particularly condemned the persistent cases of kidnapping and attacks on communities, promising a more decisive security response if elected.
Obi also promised to make public education accessible, saying his administration would work with state governments to provide classrooms and ensure free basic education at the primary and secondary levels.
On power supply, he pledged that an NDC government would produce, transmit and distribute at least 10,000 megawatts of electricity, compared with what he described as the approximately 4,000 megawatts currently being generated.
He further promised to support industries and small businesses to create employment opportunities for young Nigerians, while proposing the development of seaports across the South-South region.
According to him, the proposed ports would serve areas including Warri, Port Harcourt, Bayelsa and Calabar, while improved road infrastructure would connect the states and stimulate economic activities.
Obi also took a swipe at the Federal Government over the country’s borrowing, challenging Tinubu to explain how the funds obtained through loans had been utilised.
He questioned what he described as the President’s reluctance to visit Bayelsa State for political engagement, despite the state’s contribution to the country’s oil revenues.
Obi said it was unfair for a President to benefit from the resources generated from the Niger Delta without adequately engaging with the people and addressing their development concerns.
He also criticised the President’s foreign travels, promising that, if elected, his own international engagements would be strictly in Nigeria’s interest and that Nigerians would be kept informed of his whereabouts.
Making a direct appeal for a change of leadership, Obi said: “The man is tired. He needs to go home. Tinubu must go and rest. We want him to go and rest.”
He added that Nigeria needed a government that was accessible and accountable, rather than one allegedly run around family interests.
Earlier, the founder of the NDC and Senator representing Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Henry Seriake Dickson, urged Bayelsans to give Obi and all the party’s candidates in the state overwhelming electoral support.
Dickson, who is also seeking re-election to the Senate, made the appeal during the homecoming celebration organised for Obi and the commissioning of the party’s secretariat.
The former Bayelsa governor accused the APC of failing to deliver on its promises to the people, while also criticising what he described as the poor political treatment of some individuals who had served in government.
He called on party members and supporters to mobilise across communities to secure support for the NDC candidates.
Dickson also cautioned supporters against intimidation and electoral violence, urging them to remain peaceful but resolute in defending their voting rights.
He said elections should be won through votes rather than the deployment of security personnel to intimidate voters.
“We don’t do politics with violence. No weapon, no bullet. Overwhelm them with the sheer force in your community. Vote and you declare and you follow up,” he told supporters.
Dickson said he had worked with Obi for about 25 years, describing their political relationship as one built on longstanding cooperation.
He urged the people to listen to Obi and support the party’s campaign, promising to join the mobilisation efforts across communities in the state.
