The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 general elections, Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to prioritise national unity and support a candidate capable of bringing the country together.
Obi said a divided nation would struggle to achieve meaningful development, stressing the need for Nigerians to elect a leader who can unite citizens across ethnic, religious and regional lines.
The former Anambra State governor also called on voters who intend to support their preferred candidates to protect their votes by remaining at polling units until ballots are counted during the 2027 presidential election.
Obi made the call during a global digital town hall held virtually on Sunday evening, where he addressed Nigerians at home and abroad on voter mobilisation, election security and ways of protecting the integrity of the electoral process.
He urged his supporters to mobilise voters and ensure adequate deployment of polling agents across the country, stressing that “our country needs unity.”
In a statement issued on Monday by the spokesman of the Peter Obi Media Office, POMR, Idris Zekeri, Obi said Nigeria was currently divided along ethnic and religious lines despite the fact that citizens across the country faced similar economic and security challenges.
“At present, we are not united. We are divided along ethnic and religious lines, yet, to the best of my knowledge, no tribe buys bread at a lower price, and no tribe buys fuel at a lower price. Similarly, no religion buys bread or fuel at a lower price,” Obi said.
He noted that poverty and insecurity were widespread across the country and did not discriminate based on tribe or religion.
According to him, Nigeria needs a president who can unite its citizens while making national security a major priority.
Obi said his campaign was working to expand its network of polling agents and collaborate with other political parties to promote free, fair and credible elections.
He also warned voters against allowing financial inducements or intimidation to influence their choices, saying such actions could negatively affect their future.
He said accepting money from politicians could deprive the country of resources that could otherwise be invested in security, healthcare and education.
Obi also called for stronger efforts to tackle insecurity, urging the government to provide security agencies with adequate logistics, equipment and support to effectively protect Nigerians.
“We have security agencies, and they must function effectively. We must provide them with the logistics they need to perform their duties and ensure that we stand by them,” he said.
He further stressed the importance of supporting the families of security personnel who lose their lives or become incapacitated while serving the country.
“We need a president who will lead from the front,” Obi added.
On election day, Obi urged voters not to leave their polling units immediately after casting their ballots, but to remain until the votes were counted, stressing that citizens must play an active role in safeguarding the electoral process.
