You Hold the Key to Nigeria’s Future, Peter Obi Tells Northern Leaders

• Peter Obi has urged Northern leaders to take the lead in rescuing Nigeria, calling the region the nation's most powerful untapped asset
• He linked insecurity in the North to poverty and education gaps, urging a shift from ethnic and religious voting to leadership rooted in competence
• Meanwhile, coalition talks among opposition parties are nearing completion, with ADC positioned as the likely platform for the 2027 presidential race

Labour Party’s 2023 presidential flagbearer, Peter Obi, has urged political leaders from Northern Nigeria to take the lead in shaping the country’s future, describing the region as the most critical component in the nation's recovery journey.

Speaking during a high-level political consultation hosted in Abuja, Obi dismissed narratives portraying the North as a liability. Instead, he declared it the nation’s "greatest untapped asset," urging stakeholders to shift focus from ethnic and religious sentiments to competence and shared national values.

“The North has voted for religion and tribe in the past. Now is the time to vote for competence, character, and a shared national vision,” Obi told the gathering, which included prominent figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.

Obi spells our north problems

Obi attributed the North’s struggles with insecurity and instability to structural poverty and lack of access to education, not culture or religious beliefs.

“You cannot fight poverty without education. And you cannot fight insecurity without addressing hunger and hopelessness,” he said.

The meeting was convened under the National Political Consultative Group and attracted representatives from multiple parties and geopolitical zones. It is part of a broader push to build a formidable opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Contrary to media reports that the gathering ended in disorder, a delegate from Jigawa State, Auwalu Garba, clarified that the session remained civil and productive.

He explained that a minor procedural issue occurred when an unaccredited participant attempted to speak on behalf of the state, but the matter was quickly resolved. “Mustapha Lamido and another accredited delegate were affirmed as the official spokespeople for Jigawa,” he said.

ADC chosen as preferred platform

Meanwhile, efforts to consolidate a political coalition are gaining momentum. National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ralphs Okey Nwosu, confirmed that coalition talks are nearing conclusion and that the ADC has been identified as the platform under which the alliance may contest the next presidential election.

“ADC started a process 16 months ago. We’re working to ensure this goes beyond political rhetoric,” Nwosu said.

“The condition in the country today will either trigger a citizens’ revolt or a patriots’ coalition.”

Nwosu added that the final phase of consultations, involving civil society organisations and grassroots groups, will take place soon, sealing what could become a powerful alternative bloc ahead of the 2027 polls.

As conversations deepen, Obi’s message to the North stands out: embrace the opportunity to lead not just the region, but the nation, toward a more unified and prosperous future.

Peter Obi reacts after IBB June 12 admission

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Peter Obi, former Governor of Anambra State and a prominent political figure, had reacted to former military president Ibrahim Babangida's admission that MKO Abiola won the June 12, 1993 presidential election.

In a statement made during an interview with TVC on February 21, Obi reflected on the significance of this acknowledgement and its implications for Nigeria's democracy.

Source: Legit.ng