Peter Obi has formally accepted his nomination as the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Coalition and unveiled a broad reform agenda focused on tackling insecurity, economic challenges, unemployment and inadequate infrastructure across the country.
Speaking in Abuja on Saturday after emerging as the party’s flag bearer, Obi thanked party leaders, delegates and supporters for the confidence reposed in him and pledged to work towards building a more secure and prosperous Nigeria.
He specifically acknowledged prominent party figures, including Seriake Dickson, members of the National Working Committee and supporters nationwide for sustaining what he described as hope for a better future.
According to Obi, Nigeria is currently facing serious challenges characterised by rising insecurity, economic hardship and growing public distrust in governance.
He noted that many businesses are struggling to survive while citizens across the country continue to grapple with difficult living conditions. Despite these challenges, he maintained that Nigeria possesses the human and natural resources needed to reverse its fortunes under effective leadership.
Obi emphasised that the country’s ethnic, religious and cultural diversity should be viewed as a source of strength rather than division, urging Nigerians to embrace unity and collective progress.
On security, the former Anambra governor expressed concern over the deteriorating security situation, noting that Nigeria has continued to rank among countries most affected by terrorism in recent years.
He contrasted the current reality with a period when the Nigerian military earned international recognition for its contributions to peacekeeping operations across different parts of the world.
Obi promised that addressing insecurity would be one of the top priorities of his administration, stressing that no nation can achieve meaningful development without guaranteeing the safety of lives and property.
He said his government would adopt intelligence-led and technology-driven security strategies while also addressing underlying factors such as poverty, unemployment and social exclusion.
Turning to the health sector, Obi lamented Nigeria’s poor healthcare indicators, particularly the high rate of infant mortality and low access to health insurance.
He pledged to expand health insurance coverage significantly within four years, noting that millions of Nigerians currently lack access to affordable healthcare services.
The presidential candidate also identified inadequate electricity supply as a major obstacle to economic growth and industrial development.
According to him, Nigeria currently generates and distributes about 4,000 megawatts of electricity despite having a population of over 200 million people.
He compared Nigeria’s power generation capacity with that of other developing economies and described the gap as unacceptable.
To address the challenge, Obi pledged to increase electricity generation and distribution by at least 10,000 megawatts within four years if elected.
On employment and economic growth, he argued that official unemployment statistics do not fully capture the scale of hardship facing Nigerians.
He promised targeted support for small and medium-sized enterprises, youth-led businesses and entrepreneurs, while also pledging to reduce the cost of governance and strengthen measures against corruption.
Obi maintained that Nigeria’s recovery would depend on disciplined leadership, productive investments and policies that prioritise the welfare and economic empowerment of citizens.