The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has said Nigerians should determine the issues politicians campaign on rather than having policies and promises imposed on them.
Obi stated this on Saturday at an NDC town hall meeting in Kaduna, attended by thousands of party members and supporters.
The former Anambra State governor said the meeting was not a conventional campaign rally but an avenue for the party to listen to Nigerians and understand their concerns ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, politicians often present “glossy manifestos” during election campaigns and make promises they are unable to fulfil after assuming office.
“What we want now is that we want politics to be demand-driven, not supply-driven,” Obi said.
He added, “Where you go and say what you know is impossible, what you cannot do, then when you’re voted in, you start telling people what you saw when you got in. We want to see everything now before we get there.”
Obi also called for an end to identity-based politics, urging Nigerians to prioritise national unity over tribal and religious considerations.
“We don’t want these politics of tribalism, politics of religion. No. We want politics of unity, politics of love, politics of care,” he said.
On insecurity, the NDC candidate said the worsening security situation had made Nigerians increasingly apprehensive about travelling within the country.
He recalled that people had questioned whether it was safe for him to travel to Kaduna for the town hall meeting.
“When I tell people I’m coming to Kaduna this morning, everybody’s telling you, are you sure? Are you not sure? How?” he said.
Obi pledged that an NDC administration would prioritise security and work towards restoring Nigerians’ confidence to travel freely across the country.
He further promised that, if elected, he would spend his holidays within Nigeria, particularly visiting states and communities facing security challenges.
“In four years, I will never take holidays outside this country.
“If I take a whole day, it will be in Zamfara, Borno, Kano. It will be in Oyo, in Ondo. That is what it should be,” he said.
On education and social mobility, Obi said his administration would pursue policies aimed at ensuring that children could access education and improve their socioeconomic status irrespective of their family backgrounds.
“We want policies where every child will go to school,” he said, adding that Nigeria should become “a nation where a child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody.”
Also speaking, the NDC vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, said the large turnout at the Kaduna meeting demonstrated growing interest in the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
Kwankwaso described the gathering as historic, noting that Obi travelled directly to Kaduna after arriving in Abuja from the United Kingdom.
He said the NDC, which he noted was registered less than a year ago, was gaining strength ahead of the elections.
“We thank Almighty God that today we are the leading opposition party,” Kwankwaso said.
Kwankwaso also identified insecurity, job creation, education and agricultural development as key issues the party said it would address if elected.
The Kaduna meeting formed part of the NDC’s ongoing town hall engagements ahead of the 2027 general elections.