Obi joins Makinde for presidential campaign office opening

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), attended the opening of Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde’s presidential campaign office in Abuja on Monday. This event shows a spirit of sportsmanship before the 2027 presidential election, where both men will compete as rivals.

At the gathering, Mr Obi stressed the need for unity among presidential candidates. He urged Nigerians to support whoever wins in a free and fair election.

Mr Obi’s attendance comes as political activities heat up ahead of the January 2027 election. Many opposition figures are already gearing up for the race.

This event highlights a friendly exchange between a seasoned candidate and a newcomer to the presidential scene.

Mr Obi is making his second bid for the presidency in 2027 after finishing third in the 2023 election as the Labour Party’s candidate. Mr Makinde, on the other hand, is entering the presidential race for the first time with the Allied People’s Movement (APM).

Mr Makinde will finish his second and last term as Oyo State governor in May 2027. He hopes to transition from being governor to becoming Nigeria’s president.

Mr Obi, who is a former governor of Anambra State, said political leaders should set aside personal interests. He called for collaboration to tackle the nation’s major issues: poverty, hunger, and insecurity.

“We want the people of Nigeria to make their choice. Whoever they choose, all of us will come together to build a new Nigeria,” Mr Obi said.

He also praised Mr Makinde as a qualified candidate for the presidency. He emphasized that the 2027 race should not be filled with political fights.

Mr Obi believes that Nigeria’s political leaders should focus on finding real solutions to the problems facing the people.

“We don’t want politics of quarrel, politics of disagreement. Let our quarrel be to feed our people. Let our quarrel be to pull our people out of poverty,” said Mr Obi. He served as the running mate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 presidential election.

Mr Abubakar is the presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the upcoming 2027 election. He and Mr Obi lost the 2019 election to the then-incumbent president, Muhammadu Buhari.

Mr Obi added that Nigerians deserve a country where success is based on individual abilities, not political connections.

“We want a Nigeria where a child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody.”

He called for united action after the election, no matter who wins, saying Nigeria cannot continue on its current path.

“Our people are hungry. Our people are poor. Our people are insecure. Whoever wins, genuinely, from a free, fair and credible election, we all want to work together to save this country from collapse.”

The opening of the campaign office is another step in Mr Makinde’s preparations for the 2027 election, where he is running on the APM platform.

Mr Obi, also in the presidential race, said political differences should not stop candidates from working together for the people.

“All of us will work as a family. And I assure you that we remain united in our rescue for our dear country, Nigeria.