The Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, claims the Northern part of Nigeria has Nigeria’s greatest economic potential.
Obi has stated that no other 2027 presidential candidate can provide the North with what he intends to deliver.
The former Anambra governor spoke on Arise TV on Monday, pitching himself to northern voters and refuting the notion that his presidential ambitions in the region are dependent on endorsements from a small group of political heavyweights.
Obi stated that the North, rather than being a burden on the national economy, was an underutilized asset that a dedicated government could turn into a larger revenue source than oil, and he plans to develop it through agriculture, security, and grassroots investment.
“Nobody can do what I intend to do in the North. We will change the North. Our greatest asset as a country is in the North. We can make more money from agriculture than we make from oil,” he said.
He went on to argue that conquering the North was about directly addressing the region’s poverty, insecurity, and lack of access to education and healthcare, rather than gaining the support of important persons.
“If we want to secure the North, we must invest in agriculture, reduce poverty, and improve education and healthcare,” Obi said.
When asked directly if he would require the support of politicians such as Nasir El-Rufai and Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso to make gains in the region, he replied he welcomed collaboration but opposed the notion that a few people could decide the outcome.
“I will work with them so they can support the process, but Nigeria is bigger than individuals,” he said.
Obi opined that the country’s deeper problem was not a lack of resources but a failure of leadership to rise above ethnic and religious divisions.
“We need leaders who will unite us as a country. Religion and tribe should not define our future,” he said.
He also mentioned that development of any kind remained impossible without first restoring security, particularly across the North.
“You cannot achieve development without first ensuring security,” Obi said.
He stated that he had drawn lessons from development models in other countries that he believed could be adapted for Nigeria.
“I have visited several countries and seen what works. We can replicate those successes here,” he said.
Obi urged the government to stop treating the opposition as a threat and instead create conditions for it to function effectively, saying a strong opposition was essential for accountability.
“The government should protect the opposition. In fact, they should make opposition stronger and make it work,” he said.
