Former Anambra State Governor and 2027 presidential hopeful, Peter Obi, has pledged to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic system by prioritising a credible opposition if elected president.
Obi made the declaration on Thursday during a visit to the University on the Niger, a faith based institution, where he donated N25 million towards the development of the school.
Speaking with journalists during the visit, the former Labour Party presidential candidate explained that his repeated movement between political parties was not driven by personal ambition, but by unresolved internal crises and political instability.
According to him, he has consistently become the target of political conflicts within parties he joins.
“People are talking about issues of political parties, but for me, I talk about issues of service. As you know, I have never left any party for leaving’s sake. I leave a party when I see conflict and crisis. I was in Labour, and I saw endless unresolved litigations and problems, and those problems were mainly because of me, so I felt I should leave.
“So I went to ADC and I felt the same situation, so I had to leave. When you move around, you will see that people just want power for the sake of power. That is why I’m pleading with them to allow democracy to thrive.”
Obi stressed that opposition parties remain an important pillar of governance and democratic accountability.
“Opposition is a critical part of government. If I were to be in government today, the main thing I would achieve is to have a strong opposition. Work with them, take their constructive advice.”
The former governor also addressed questions regarding his continued charitable donations despite mounting political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to him, he would rather invest in education and youth development than save funds for political agents during elections.
“I’m spending money to support education because I value the future of these young people. Don’t expect me to keep money to buy polling unit agents because I will not do it.”
He insisted that Nigerians must personally defend their votes rather than depend on politicians for financial inducement.
Addressing students of the institution, Obi urged young Nigerians to prioritise education, describing it as the foundation for future success and national transformation.
“I urge you all to take your education seriously. You may want to be in business or politics, but the future of livelihood belongs to those who are educated.”
He further painted his vision of a fair and merit driven Nigeria.
“We want a country where the child of a nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody. We will attain it; it won’t be forever. Not when you finish school and you start going around looking for who to see before you can get a job.”
Obi also criticised the country’s value system, lamenting the poor treatment of academics compared to politicians.
“It is shameful that a councillor earns more than a professor. That is why we are in the race for president,” he said.
