The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called for the election of a leader capable of uniting Nigerians across ethnic and religious lines in the 2027 presidential election.
Obi made the call during a global digital town hall with Nigerians at home and abroad on Sunday, where he discussed voter mobilisation, election security and strategies for protecting votes.
The former Anambra State governor said the country’s challenges, including poverty, insecurity and the rising cost of living, affected Nigerians irrespective of their ethnic or religious backgrounds.
He therefore urged citizens to look beyond ethnic and religious considerations when choosing their next president.
“Our country needs unity. 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. The poverty affecting our country today is widespread across the entire nation.
“No tribe enjoys greater security than another. Insecurity affects every part of the country. This is the same point I have consistently made,” he said.
Obi said Nigeria needed a president who would unite the country and provide decisive leadership in tackling insecurity and other challenges confronting citizens.
He also called on Nigerians seeking to exercise their franchise in the 2027 election to take an active role in protecting their votes.
According to him, voters should remain at their polling units after casting their ballots until the votes are counted, while political parties should ensure adequate deployment of polling agents across the country.
The NDC candidate said his campaign was working to expand its network of polling agents and collaborate with other political parties in the interest of free, fair and credible elections.
He warned voters against allowing financial inducements or intimidation to determine their electoral choices.
“If you accept money from them, that is money they would otherwise have spent on security, hospitals, and education,” Obi said.
On insecurity, the former governor called for improved support for security agencies, particularly through the provision of adequate logistics and equipment.
“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.
“We must make certain that they are properly equipped and that their families are cared for if anything happens to them or they become unavailable. We need a president who will lead from the front,” he said.
Obi further urged Nigerians to remain engaged with the electoral process and ensure that their votes were protected from the polling unit through the counting process.
He said the mobilisation of voters and deployment of polling agents would remain central to his political activities ahead of the 2027 election.
The digital town hall, streamed through Zoom, YouTube and other social media platforms, formed part of Obi’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the presidential election.
The statement was signed by Idris Zekeri Jnr, spokesman for the Peter Obi Media and Publicity Research (POMR), on October 5, 2026.
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