Peter Obi Vows to Enter Bush Personally to Rescue Kidnapped Nigerians if Elected President in 2027
- Peter Obi made the pledge at a town hall meeting in Enugu on Thursday, July 2026
- The NDC presidential candidate criticised President Tinubu's leadership style and called for direct engagement with Nigerians
- Obi also promised to declare states of emergency on corruption, education, and electricity if he wins the 2027 election
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
Enugu - Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has vowed to physically lead rescue operations against kidnappers if he wins the 2027 presidential election, saying no president should sit idle while citizens are abducted.
Obi made the pledge at a town hall meeting in Enugu on Thursday, October 29, drawing a sharp contrast between his proposed leadership style and what he described as the passive approach of President Bola Tinubu's administration.
Source: Twitter
"We will not be in government, and people who kidnap 600 people and go to the bush; we will go into that bush with them," Obi said. "I will not be president, and somebody will kidnap our children; we will enter the bush together."
Obi's Criticism of Tinubu's Leadership
Beyond the security pledge, Obi argued that Nigeria's next president must be physically active and willing to travel across the country to explain his administration's record. He called on Tinubu to tour all states and account for public borrowings and how funds have been spent over the past three years, TheCable reported.
"Your president said he will not be able to campaign all over Nigeria. Please, do not listen to him. He must come and campaign all over Nigeria," Obi said.
He painted a bleak picture of present-day Nigeria, pointing to hunger, youth unemployment, and persistent insecurity as signs of a government that had failed its citizens. "Today, our country is suffering. Today, people are hungry. Our children do not have employment. Today, Nigeria is not secure," he said.
Emergency Declarations on Corruption and Education
Obi outlined several priority actions he would take on his first days in office, including declaring states of emergency on corruption, education, and electricity generation.
"As president of Nigeria, we will put an emergency on corruption. People must stop stealing public money. Public money must be used for public good," he said.
On education and healthcare, he added:
"As president of Nigeria, I will declare an emergency in education. Our children must go to school. We must ensure that there's healthcare and primary healthcare in every ward in Nigeria."
He also pledged transparency on government borrowing, saying citizens would be informed of the purpose of any loan taken by his administration.
Addressing concerns about ethnic loyalty, Obi urged voters to support him on the basis of his qualifications rather than his Igbo identity.
"Don't vote for me, because I'm an Igbo man. Please, I'm asking for your vote because I'm the most qualified to be president of Nigeria," he said.
Obi was ratified as the NDC's presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections on May 29, 2026, following his resignation from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) earlier that month.
2027 Election: Obi's Camp Promises N500/$1 Exchange Rate
In a related development, Pat Utomi, a political economist and NDC chieftain, has said the party's 2027 presidential candidate, Obi, is targeting an exchange rate of N500 per dollar as part of his economic agenda if he wins the presidency.
Utomi made the claim in a post on X, describing the proposed naira appreciation as a central plank of Obi's campaign manifesto. He argued that pulling the exchange rate down from its current level of roughly N1,350 to N500 would directly reduce inflation, lift millions out of poverty and restore the purchasing power that ordinary Nigerians have lost in recent years.
Source: Legit.ng
