Former presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, says he will honour any coalition agreement that requires him to serve a single term and hand over to the North in 2031, insisting that character and integrity matter more to him than power.
“If the agreement is one term, I will leave on May 28, 2031 — not even May 29. I am not desperate to be president. I am desperate to see Nigeria work.”
He stressed that upholding zoning and respecting coalition terms reflects political maturity. He recalled how he stood by zoning principles in Anambra State, even at great personal cost.
Obi didn’t hold back when asked about President Bola Tinubu’s latest trip to St. Lucia, labelling it out of touch and a misplacement of priorities.
“You can’t build strong international relations when your domestic house is on fire,” he said, highlighting that St. Lucia — a Caribbean nation with just 180,000 people — has a smaller population than Ajegunle in Lagos.
He pointed out that Nigeria is grappling with mass killings, economic hardship, and security breakdowns, yet the president has spent over 59 days abroad this year.
“We’re losing lives in Niger, Benue, Zamfara… and we’re gallivanting. You can’t travel around the world when people are being buried at home. Leaders must stay and lead from the front,” he declared.
Responding to claims about a possible joint ticket with former vice president Atiku Abubakar in 2027, Obi firmly denied any negotiations on candidacy and stressed the coalition’s real goal: fixing Nigeria.
“If the coalition is about sharing tickets and power for its sake, count me out. I’m not interested. I want a coalition that stops the killings in Borno, puts food on people’s tables, and gets our industries working,” Obi said.
He also dismissed the notion that his supporters were opposed to the merger.
“It’s not about rejection. We’ve never even discussed tickets. It’s about Nigeria first,” he clarified.
Referencing his time as governor of Anambra State, Obi recounted visiting scenes of tragedy personally — including funerals for unknown victims — and insisted that leaders must feel the pain of the people.
“Leadership is not about flying jets. It’s about compassion,” he said.
“If 17 soldiers die in Niger and the president is commissioning parties in Lagos, we’ve lost our humanity.”
He ended by calling for a leadership style rooted in humility, service, and responsibility.
“I don’t want to be president to decorate my CV. I want to show that leadership can be different — and effective.”
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