Peter Obi tells politicians to focus on governance, not 2027

Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has criticised Nigerian politicians for focusing on the 2027 elections instead of addressing the country’s urgent development needs.

Obi made the remarks on Friday at the Margaret Ekpo International Airport in Calabar after meeting with dentistry students at the University of Calabar.

“We must stop discussing politics and start discussing the development of the people,” he said. “We need to invest in measurable areas such as education and health, and in lifting people out of poverty.”

He condemned the culture of excessive government spending, particularly on public officials, while sectors such as education and healthcare remain underfunded.

ALSO READ: Peter Obi's 2027 Conundrum: ADC, Labour Party, or PDP?

“We cannot have a society where we spend millions to buy cars for political office holders, while young people are struggling to access quality education in classrooms without chairs,” he said.

Obi described the current political lifestyle as wasteful and unsustainable.

During the visit, he donated ₦20 million to the university’s Department of Dentistry to help them purchase five dental chairs. He also encouraged others to help the school acquire 10 more.

He urged students to take their education seriously, calling it their most valuable asset for global relevance.

Although Obi is part of an opposition coalition that includes Atiku Abubakar and Nasir El-Rufai under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), he refrained from making political comments during his visit.

ALSO READ: Datti Baba-Ahmed says Obi free to contest 2027 presidency without him after 2023 loss

“2027 is not what I want to talk about. Let me talk about how the average Nigerian can put food on his table, how children can stay in school, and how the common man can go to the hospital and receive proper treatment,” he said. “When 2027 comes, we will be there — and I will surely contest.”