Sometimes I believe Tinubu is not in charge of his administration — Peter Ob
Obi
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has said there are times he believes President Bola Tinubu is not fully in charge of his administration.
Obi stated this in an interview with Arise TV on Thursday, while speaking on the state of the nation, insecurity, fuel prices, corruption and his plans if elected president in 2027.
Obi said the President should personally address Nigerians on issues affecting the country instead of allowing his aides and associates to speak on his behalf.
“Sometimes I believe Tinubu is not in charge. All these things that his people are talking about, he should be the one talking.
“Nobody will talk for Peter Obi. I will talk to my people,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor also questioned the President’s frequent trips abroad, saying he should spend more time visiting parts of Nigeria affected by insecurity.
He said Tinubu should visit states such as Zamfara, Sokoto, Plateau and Kano to personally assess the security situation.
“He should spend three days in these states,” Obi said.
Obi said Nigerians should look beyond the grievances of the past and work towards building a united country where love is at the centre.
According to him, Nigeria can overcome its past challenges through “love, unity and progress”.
On his earlier promise to serve only one term and the possibility of that, Obi said he stood by his words, stressing that fixing Nigeria’s problems was not that complex.
He said, “Nigeria is heading in a wrong direction today. I want to reverse it. I am not desperate. I have never been desperate.”
“Four years, people will see the difference,” he said.
Obi identified insecurity as one of the most pressing challenges facing Nigerians, saying it had severely affected economic activities across the country.
He said insecurity had made it difficult for manufacturers to transport goods and prevented farmers from safely accessing their farms.
“Security is the most important thing for Nigerians. It has made it impossible for manufacturers to move their goods. Insecurity has made it impossible for farmers to go to farm,” he said.
Obi said securing the country would therefore be his administration’s immediate priority if elected.
I’ll appoint capable security chiefs
The former governor said he would begin restructuring the security architecture from his first week in office by appointing competent security chiefs.
“My first week, I will appoint capable security chiefs. Even if I am going to retain those that are there, they will know that a new Commander-in-Chief has arrived,” he said.
He said his administration would deploy all available resources and technology to tackle insecurity, including drones and satellite surveillance.
He added that after addressing insecurity, he would ensure that the country’s arable land was extensively cultivated to achieve food security.
Obi also expressed support for state police, saying he would not negotiate with kidnappers or pay ransom.
“I will do whatever it takes to secure the country. I believe in state police. I will not pay ransom,” he said.
He further criticised what he described as the use of government resources to target political opponents, arguing that such resources should instead be deployed to fight insecurity.
Obi said he would not remain in Abuja while serious security incidents were occurring in other parts of the country.
He said that as governor of Anambra State, he visited all the villages and secondary schools to assess how the people were faring, adding that if elected president, he would visit every state at least once every year.
On the cost of petrol, Obi said he would seek to eliminate corruption and inefficiencies in the subsidy system, arguing that this would help reduce the cost of petroleum products.
“I will remove corruption from subsidy. When I remove it, petrol and every other thing will go down. We are buying fuel at high cost,” he said.
He also said Nigeria, as an oil-producing country, should be able to manage its petroleum resources in a way that benefits its citizens.
‘North will celebrate my presidency’
Obi also appealed to voters in Northern Nigeria, saying his administration would prioritise poverty reduction, healthcare and skills development.
“If there is any president the North should celebrate, it’s me. I will deal with poverty, health, skills. I will deal with the North and they will like it,” he said.
He also promised to moderate the price of fuel and improve economic conditions for Nigerians.
Obi said his focus would be on addressing the challenges affecting ordinary Nigerians, regardless of their region or political affiliation.
He also spoke on the possibility of becoming a running mate to Atiku, saying the decision was not his to make but one that would be determined by the two parties.
“The decision is not about a candidate. It is about the two parties talking. It has passed that stage. It will be irresponsible to say that on national television,” he said.
Obi also gave an insight into why he left the Labour Party for the NDC. According to him, the decision followed INEC’s refusal to recognise the faction of the party to which he belonged.
On reports that he said he was ready to die for the country, Obi explained that what he meant was that they were ready and prepared to ensure that votes count this time around.
He said achieving a free and fair election was not difficult once those involved were prepared to do the right thing.
“There is really nothing difficult in having a free and fair election. It happened in Ghana. It is happening everywhere. Nigeria must get it right now.
“We are prepared to ensure that our vote counts, and it will count.”
According to him, one of the ways to ensure that votes count is to establish a system whereby votes are transmitted directly from polling units to the INEC portal, where members of the public can see the results.
Obi, who believes he won the 2023 presidential election, said they made a mistake by believing that INEC would be fair.
He said that prior to the election, the INEC chairman was travelling around the world promising that the commission was putting measures in place to ensure that votes counted, and they believed him.
He said that had become a thing of the past and would not happen again, stressing that they would do everything possible to ensure that every vote counts.
By Innocent Onoh
