THE Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has pledged to rid Nigeria of endemic corruption and widespread insecurity if elected in next month’s election.
Obi, who, in a speech on Monday, January 16, at the Chatham House, an international affairs think-tank in London, United Kingdom (UK), described Nigeria as “a failing state” in need of new political leadership, added: “Unless we change the politics by changing the political leadership, we are stuck in this terrible state of underdevelopment and misery.”
The former governor of Anambra State said he would dialogue with secessionists, separatists and agitators, promising to introduce a range of security reforms, especially in the troubled north, where thousands of people have been killed by terrorists and bandits.
“What you have seen is a cumulative effect of leadership failure over the years, which would be solved by good governance,” he said. “When people start seeing justice, fairness and inclusive government, all those things will start reversing. Nigerians are prepared to come back if they can find that they have a country to go back to.
“I will talk and discuss with all agitators. There is nothing wrong in that; people agitate even in my house and I have talked with them,” he said in response to a question.
Obi explained that agitations are a cumulative effect of leadership failure over the years, which he promised would be solved by good governance, noting: “When people start seeing justice, fairness, an inclusive government and doing the right thing, all those things will start reversing itself and that is what Datti and I are discussing.”
He condemned all agitators, but insisted that attention must be paid to the reasons for the agitations all over the place, adding: “Not just the IPOB, we have the Yoruba nation and all sorts. When you have created this level of massive poverty where 63 per cent of your population is poor, you will create all sorts of problems.”
On how he plans to tackle insecurity and ethnic tension in Nigeria, the LP presidential candidate said the ethnic tensions in Nigeria today were a result of injustice, unfairness, exclusion and marginalisation, stating: “As long as we start doing the right thing, as long as we start building an inclusive society; where people’s talent and hard work match their opportunities, you start seeing those things go down.”
Obi said Nigeria has an existential threat that leaves no room for the usual transactional leadership, saying: “It is either you are a Nigerian or you look for another country. Securing Nigeria is not impossible. I secured Anambra State as governor and it will not be different.”
He said his government would apply the carrot and stick method, while dialoguing with those who are available for dialogue and dealing with those who are not interested.
“Nigeria must be secured. We will not shy away; we will deal with it,” noting it was time to resonate the spirit of the Nigerian military, the same spirit they used in securing Africa in the past during peace missions.
Obi is the second presidential candidate in next month’s election to speak at Chatham House, after the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, in December last year.
