Peter Obi✓

NASARAWA STATE: SECURITY, EDUCATION, HEALTHCARE AND LIFTING OUR PEOPLE OUT OF POVERTY Following yesterday’s visit to Kogi State, I proceeded to Akwanga, Nasarawa State, today, 28 October 2026, to continue our series of town hall meetings across Nigeria. These engagements provide an opportunity to interact directly with our people, listen to their concerns, and understand their expectations for a better Nigeria. In Akwanga, I granted an interview to a local radio station, where we discussed critical national issues, particularly insecurity, the economy, and the urgent need to lift millions of Nigerians out of poverty. I was subsequently joined by my dear elder brother and the NDC Vice Presidential Candidate, His Excellency, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, for the town hall meeting. Participants raised important questions and shared their concerns about insecurity, particularly the challenges women face in accessing their farms; support for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups; fuel subsidy; corruption; the present government’s excessive borrowing; the deteriorating state of our schools; and other challenges affecting their daily lives. In my response, I assured the participants that our first priority, upon election, would be to unite the country, decisively tackle corruption, and confront the insecurity ravaging communities across Nigeria. I also reaffirmed our shared commitment to massive investment in education and healthcare, including the provision of at least one fully functional primary healthcare centre in every political ward across the country. Our goal is to reduce the cost of living, expand opportunities, and lift Nigerians out of poverty. I sincerely thank all participants, our party members, the organisers, and the good people of Nasarawa State for their warm reception, thoughtful contributions, and active participation. A New Nigeria is POssible, and Nigeria will be OK! -PO

KOGI STATE: HISTORY, GOVERNANCE AND THE CHALLENGE OF BUILDING A NEW NIGERIA After participating in the inauguration of the Presidential Campaign Council of our party, the NDC, yesterday, I travelled to Kogi State today, 27th October 2026, as part of my ongoing series of town hall meetings across the country. In Lokoja, I paid a courtesy visit to the Maigari of Lokoja, His Royal Highness Dr. Alhaji Ibrahim Gambo Kabir Maikarfi IV. I sincerely thank His Royal Highness for receiving us at such short notice. I informed him of our town hall meeting in Lokoja, after which he graciously took time to share with us some of the history of the city. He told us about the historic Holy Trinity Primary School, which was established in 1865 by the Most Reverend Bishop Samuel Ajayi Crowther and missionaries of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion. It is regarded as the oldest primary school in Northern Nigeria. He also told us about the historic 'Iron of Liberty' monument. Visiting these historic sites was both enlightening and sobering. The Holy Trinity Primary School reminded me that, 161 years after its establishment, Nigeria still has the highest number of out-of-school children in the world. It is concerning that we have not done enough to preserve these legacies or build on the foundations laid by those who came before us. At the 'Iron of Liberty,' I was reminded of the historic collaboration between missionaries and the authorities in the struggle to end the slave trade in Nigeria. My visits to these sites reinforce my comments yesterday about spending all my holidays as President in Nigeria. They also highlight the abundant tourism potential of Kogi State and Nigeria as a whole. From these historic sites, I proceeded to our town hall meeting, organised by our party and candidates, where we had a lengthy and engaging conversation about the contemporary challenges facing our country. During the interaction, we discussed several issues affecting our nation, including corruption, agriculture, tourism in Kogi State, the moribund Ajaokuta Steel Company and other important matters. My response was to reiterate our position that endemic, entrenched and institutional corruption remains at the core of many of the challenges confronting Nigeria today and must be decisively addressed. I reiterated my commitment to uniting and securing our country around a common purpose: investing in health and education, strengthening our productive capacity and pulling our people out of pervasive poverty. I concluded my visit by consoling a business owner whose complex was recently gutted by fire. I also visited traders at Kpata Market, where I interacted with them and received first-hand information about the prevailing economic situation, including the rising cost of goods. The traders complained of low patronage due to reduced disposable income among consumers. I thank the large crowd that attended the event for their warm reception and the fruitful interaction we had. My sincere gratitude goes to the organisers of our town hall meeting in Lokoja, our candidates, and all our party members and participants. A New Nigeria is Possible, and Nigeria will be OK. -PO

A NEW AND PRODUCTIVE NIGERIA IS POSSIBLE, AND NIGERIA WILL BE OK Yesterday, 26th of October, our Party, the NDC Campaign council was inaugurated in Abuja. As part of my remarks, I told Nigerians how our richly endowed nation, the giant of Africa, is now the world’s poverty capital. Regrettably, over 140 million Nigerians are multidimensionally poor, representing more than 60% of the population. Corruption remains widespread, while insecurity affects every part of our country. Unemployment and inequality are at record levels, and Nigerians face severe and avoidable hardship. Even with the removal of the fuel subsidy and reckless borrowing, with a debt of over ₦165 trillion, there has been little or no corresponding increase in productivity. In the last three years, President Tinubu has foisted on Nigeria a reign of corruption and duplicity, resulting in extreme poverty. Today, President Tinubu has made history as the leader who has created the largest number of poor people in the world. This year, he has made about 16 million Nigerians extremely poor. Just last Saturday, President Tinubu, while launching his re-election campaign in Kaduna, blamed past and opposition leaders for the hunger and poverty that have ravaged Nigerians. What is clear is that President Tinubu does not have the competence, the capacity, the character, compassion or the commitment to solve the problems he created. He lacks the energy and the resolve to get Nigeria out of the current worsening crisis. Under President Tinubu, despite his promise to fix electricity, Nigeria now has the lowest consumption of electricity. Without reliable power, businesses cannot expand efficiently, hospitals cannot provide dependable services, schools struggle to operate effectively, and households face additional financial burdens. We will pursue an electricity reform programme focused on reliability, affordability, investment, and accountability. We will work with relevant federal and state institutions, regulators, operators, and investors to address the weaknesses affecting generation, transmission, and distribution. Under President Tinubu, Nigeria is more divided than ever, more terrorised than ever and more insecure than ever. Under President Tinubu, Nigeria has fallen into a crisis of values, such that our budgets are no longer credible and our laws are forged. Nothing is sacred. Nothing is spared from degradation, not budgets, not laws, not institutions. From our engagements with Nigerians across the country and all segments of society, the message is clear: Nigerians want and deserve a better, more productive nation, one in which good governance is visible, firmly established, effectively practised and embraced as part of our national culture. I, Peter Obi, with my very dear elder brother, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, implore and beckon all of you, committed members of our great party, the NDC, and all Nigerians, to join us in this crusade of rebuilding our dear and most endowed nation, Nigeria. Today, we begin a renewed journey towards a New Nigeria, united by shared purpose, founded on fairness, justice and equity, and committed to productivity, inclusion and development. We envision a nation where government prioritises the security and welfare of its people, good governance prevails, and public officials remain accountable. It will be a law-abiding society of healthy, skilled and educated citizens, where every child attends school and learns to read and write. No Nigerian should live in a displaced-persons camp, and corruption must no longer weaken our institutions or the fabric of our nation. A New Nigeria is our vision. A New Nigeria is our mission. Corruption today has become more pervasive under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s APC-led government. No state institution has been spared, and since 2023, its effects have spread throughout national life.

The founding father of Singapore, Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, once observed that “when a political system is corrupted from the very top to the lowest levels of the bureaucracy, the problem becomes almost impossible to solve without a revolution, a thorough cleansing that must begin from the top and proceed systematically downward.” He emphasised that such a process requires strong leadership, courage and moral authority derived from unquestioned integrity. With the courage and integrity required for this task, I intend, if elected, to follow this principle by leading a decisive campaign against corruption—like it has never been fought in this country before. The OK ticket makes the same firm commitment to securing our people. Enough is enough. Bandits and kidnappers must understand that our amnesty offer will take effect when our victory is announced. Any crime committed after our inauguration will be dealt with decisively. Using every lawful means necessary, we will identify the perpetrators and their sponsors, dismantle their criminal networks, and restore order, stability and freedom of movement. Within our first two years in office, we will resettle internally displaced people in their communities and empower them to rebuild their lives with dignity. Agricultural transformation and industrial growth will be central priorities of our government. After restoring security, we will help farmers return to their land, support each state and region in developing products in which they have the comparative advantage, and build processing facilities close to farming communities. Once elected as President in 2027, I will dedicate all my energies to fulfilling my promise of transforming agriculture and industrialising Nigeria. With security restored, we will incentivise farmers to return to their farms to boost smallholder farming. We will launch an agrarian revolution whose hallmark will be to enhance value addition and make agriculture a supplier of adequate and affordable food for Nigerians and a major export earner. Our focus will be on ensuring that Nigeria becomes globally competitive in agro-products where we have comparative and competitive advantage. We will turn Northern Nigeria, with its enormous land resources and its hardworking people, into an agro-industrial cluster that boosts Nigeria’s industrial capacity and growth. Expectedly, education and health will be among our priorities. Nations that have been transformed achieved greatness because they deliberately promoted education and ensured the wellbeing of their people through the provision of quality education and healthcare. Our government will work with state governments to improve the quality of primary, secondary and technical education, including training more teachers and guaranteeing them improved remuneration and an improved welfare package. Our government will ensure that teachers are among the highest-remunerated groups in Nigeria. In addition, we shall subsidise education to ensure that no child or able Nigerian is left behind in the pursuit of education. Our natural endowment will no longer be wasted or mismanaged. We will provide different forms of targeted subsidies to key sectors of our economy to truly support our people and stimulate a new and productive Nigeria. These subsidies shall be distributed across critical sectors like education, agriculture and energy, among others. Let me conclude by stating that Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso and I are dedicated to working for a New Nigeria. We will work to aggressively drive down the cost of living and pull our people out of poverty. A New and Productive Nigeria is Possible, and Nigeria will be very OK! God bless you all, and God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria. -PO

I am deeply saddened by the passing of Professor Gregory Ikechukwu Ibe, founder and proprietor of Gregory University, Uturu. He devoted his life to education and human development, leaving a lasting legacy of service and investment in the future of generations. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, the management, staff and students of Gregory University, and all who mourn his passing. May God grant them comfort and strength, and grant him eternal rest. -PO

EXIT OF A TITAN I am deeply saddened by the passing of Pa Reuben Fasoranti, the revered Afenifere leader and elder statesman, at the age of 100. Baba lived a life defined by courage, integrity, and an unwavering commitment to democracy, justice, and a better Nigeria. His passing is a great loss to his family, the Yoruba nation, and our country. I extend my heartfelt condolences to his family, the entire Afenifere family, and all those who mourn this great patriot. May God grant them the strength to bear this painful loss and grant Baba eternal rest. His legacy of principled leadership, selfless service, and steadfast commitment to democratic ideals will continue to inspire generations. -PO

I received with profound sorrow the news of the passing of our dearest mother, Prof. Kamene Okonjo, beloved mother of Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and revered matriarch of the Umu Obi Obahai Royal Family of Ogwashi-Uku, Delta State. Mama lived a remarkable life of service, dignity, wisdom, and devotion to her family, community, and humanity. Her passing is a great loss, not only to the Okonjo family and the people of Ogwashi-Uku, but to all who were privileged to know and draw inspiration from her life. At this difficult moment, I extend my deepest and heartfelt condolences to Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala @NOIweala , the Obi of Ogwashi-Uku, His Royal Majesty, Obi Ifechukwude Okonjo II, the entire Okonjo family, the people of Ogwashi-Uku, and all of us who mourn this great matriarch. May Almighty God grant the family the strength and comfort to bear this irreparable loss, and may He grant our dearest mother, Prof. Kamene Okonjo, eternal rest. -PO

CIVILITY IS NOT WEAKNESS. ENOUGH OF THE HARASSMENT OF MY SUPPORTERS. RELEASE RILWAN OLAWALE NOW. The continued intimidation and harassment of my supporters across the country, the latest being the case of Rilwan Olawale, is disturbing and unacceptable. President Bola Tinubu has remained a huge beneficiary of our democracy and should not brazenly be destroying it by encouraging and facilitating violence. Our campaign is peaceful and issue-driven, focused on offering Nigerians a credible alternative built on competence, accountability, justice, and compassion. We have chosen the path of peace, not violence; persuasion, not intimidation. However, nobody should mistake our civility for weakness, our restraint for fear, or our commitment to peace for an absence of resolve. We will not be intimidated into silence, nor will we abandon Nigerians who believe in a New Nigeria that is possible and will be OK. I therefore demand transparency regarding Rilwan Olawale’s arrest, his release, respect for his rights, and an end to politically motivated harassment. No government or political party has the right to deny Nigerians the freedom to support a candidate of their choice. We will remain peaceful but resolute. We will not resort to violence, but we will stand firmly and lawfully against every attempt to undermine our democratic rights. A New Nigeria is POssible and will be OK. -PO

Today, I arrived at Abuja Airport from the United Kingdom at 5:30 a.m. and immediately connected to the 7 a.m. Enugu Air flight to Enugu to attend the funeral of late Ifeanyi Nwolie, who was laid to rest in his hometown of Afa, Udi Local Government Area, Enugu State. Late Ifeanyi Nwolie was one of my supporters who participated in the recent NDC party political activity marred by violence on October 10, 2026. Tragically, he was shot. His death is a painful reminder of the devastating human cost of our nation’s current toxic political environment. As we approach the 2027 general elections, I appeal to all candidates contesting at the federal, state, and local government levels to reject violence, ethnic division, and religious bigotry. Our campaigns and activities must be based on issues that will make our country better. Democracy thrives when citizens can freely express their political choices and participate in the electoral process without fear. The process through which we attain public office is more important than the office itself. My humble pledge to the mother is that God Almighty, whom it pleased to bring Ifeanyi home, has also given her another son in me to support her as Ifeanyi used to. A country’s greatest strength lies in the rule of law. When the rule of law is undermined, the door is opened to disorder and anarchy. We must work together to rebuild and restore a Nigeria where human life is valued above political ambition, and where every citizen can exercise their democratic rights in peace and safety. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

Rebuilding Nigeria Yesterday, Wednesday, 21 October, I arrived in London at 7 a.m. from Basel, Switzerland. It was one of my busiest days, filled with several engagements, including meetings with stakeholders in the UK. I rounded off the day in the evening with a meeting organised by the COPDEM Chief and the NDC Director of Diaspora Affairs, bringing together other stakeholders in London. All the meetings with British government officials and the Nigerian diaspora centred on our collective responsibility to rebuild Nigeria and free our country from the shackles of bad leadership, corruption, and the lack of accountability that continue to undermine our national development. These challenges have deprived millions of Nigerians of access to basic necessities, including quality healthcare, education, and decent employment. Nigerians deserve a country where every life matters, where hard work is rewarded, and where every citizen has a fair opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background or connections. We must build a Nigeria where the child of nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody. A country that works for everyone, not just a privileged few. A New Nigeria is POssible. -PO

HAPPY 70TH BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER AND FELLOW PARTNER IN SERVICE TO NIGERIA, RABIU MUSA KWANKWASO As you mark your 70th birthday on October 21, I honour not only an accomplished public servant but also a very dear elder brother and partner whose life has been dedicated to serving our people. With the passage of time, I have come to deeply appreciate the bond between us, the many conversations we have shared, and the common commitment to Nigeria that continues to shape our service. Your path through the legislature, the Federal Executive Council, the governorship of Kano State, and national public life represents decades of experience, duty, and meaningful engagement with the Nigerian people. Turning seventy is not merely a significant milestone; it is a moment to look back with gratitude on a life devoted to service, the wisdom gained through experience, and the opportunities that remain ahead. As we continue to hope for and work toward a better Nigeria, I remain grateful for our partnership and for our shared conviction that our nation can become a place where no child is deprived of opportunity, no family is left in poverty, and every Nigerian can live with dignity, security, and hope. My dear brother, may God bless you with renewed strength, good health, wisdom, and many more productive years. May the years ahead be filled with peace, fulfilment, and the satisfaction of seeing the values we cherish take firmer root across our nation. Warmest congratulations on your 70th birthday, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso @KwankwasoRM . I honour you on this special occasion and pray that the chapter ahead will be filled with abundant blessings and many more purposeful years. -PO

FROM PARIS TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: NIGERIA’S FUTURE IN FOCUS Following our dialogue at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) office in Paris yesterday, we made a one-hour stop at a Nigerian restaurant, where we met and interacted with fellow Nigerians before departing for Strasbourg. We arrived at 12:15 a.m. today, Tuesday, 20 October. By 9:30 a.m., we were at the European Parliament, where we held a series of constructive meetings with Members of the European Parliament representing various committees. Our engagements continued until 6:00 p.m. Throughout these discussions, I reiterated that Africa is a continent of immense potential, the world’s second-largest continent by both land area and population, richly endowed with natural resources and blessed with a vast, youthful population capable of driving production, innovation and economic transformation. I called for stronger European support for Africa’s development, particularly Nigeria’s, through partnerships that promote good governance, strengthen democratic institutions and protect the integrity of our electoral processes. Africa needs leaders with the vision, competence and integrity to unite our people, confront corruption decisively, tackle insecurity and reduce inequality. These are essential foundations for building prosperous, stable and inclusive societies. Africa must not be seen merely as a continent of needs, but as a continent of opportunities, solutions and possibilities. Nigeria, in particular, has the human and natural resources to play a significant role in global development. Our future must be built on responsible leadership, productive partnerships and a shared commitment to human dignity and prosperity. A better Nigeria is POssible. A New Nigeria is POssible! -PO

Data and Statistics Are Tools for Effective and Good Governance Data and statistics are indispensable tools for effective and good governance. They enable us to assess performance, measure progress, identify challenges, and learn from the experiences of others. Although the next World Statistics Day will be celebrated on 20 October 2030, I have chosen to commemorate it today because it is usually celebrated on 20 October, and to encourage our people to appreciate the importance of statistics in national development. It is globally known that nations grow and develop by learning from others. In Nigeria, we learnt or adopted almost everything about our governance from other nations. While we got our presidential system from the US, other aspects of our socio-economic and governance systems were adopted from the United Kingdom, flowing from our colonial heritage. These include our legal, educational, banking, health, communication and agricultural systems, etc. As individuals, we also recognise that life is a process of learning to improve, develop and grow. That is the natural process through which we all became medical doctors, economists, engineers, bankers, lawyers, mechanics, painters and professionals in other disciplines. Moreover, we always want to learn from comparable experiences and similar people. This is how we interrogate nations with visible progress and achievements that are verifiable through data and statistics, generally referred to as evidence. Good governance principles are anchored on global best practices, which entail acknowledging, borrowing and adopting what works best in other climes. Global best practices are also parameters and benchmarks for comparative politics and performance. The problem with our incompetent and corrupt APC-led government is the confusion of hubris with leadership. This stems from a lack of patriotism and a total absence of commitment to a better Nigeria. This is why the government lacks the required humility, patriotism and disposition to learning and is fixated on governing our richly endowed nation with corrupt, ineffective and reactive policies, which inevitably produce poor and retrogressive outcomes. Verifiable data and facts confirm that Bangladesh is a developing country with a population of about 178 million people. Undisputed and verifiable statistics affirm that Bangladesh achieved significant poverty reduction between 2010 and 2022. This lifted about 34 million people out of poverty and reduced extreme poverty rates from 12.2% to 5.6%. It is not by accident that indexes such as the Human Development Index (HDI) and Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index are sources of evidence on human progress. It is also widely known and confirmed that the significant poverty reduction was achieved through five key pillars: agricultural growth, export-oriented manufacturing, microfinance and NGOs, social safety nets, and human capital and infrastructure. As the above pillars through which Bangladesh significantly reduced poverty are not too difficult to understand, the appropriate thing a patriotic and effective government would have done is to learn humbly and diligently how Nigeria can also significantly reduce its embarrassing and shameful poverty level. Moreover, just as it is in Bangladesh, so it is with the remarkable leadership in Vietnam, Rwanda, Morocco, India and many other developing nations. Unfortunately, the disingenuous, incompetent and corrupt APC government cannot give what it does not have. It is limited in its global worldview, unwilling to learn and deeply consumed by its inclination towards state capture through the corrupt control of our national resources and bad governance. That is why Nigeria, a richly endowed and blessed country, is now classified as the poverty capital of the world, with a poverty rate of about 63% and over 140 million Nigerians living in multidimensional poverty.

It is also why the recent UNDP report disturbingly noted that all the previous poverty reduction achievements in Nigeria seem to have been reversed. How can our most endowed nation be the country with the highest increase in the number of people falling into poverty? In a more organised society, the recent reports from many international and local organisations on the different dimensions of hardship faced by Nigerians, including poverty, insecurity, inequality, unemployment and corruption, should have compelled the incompetent, corrupt and unpatriotic APC government to resign. We must learn to learn from others so that we can fuel our leapfrog with what others have done. As an axiom in organisational learning states, unless the rate of learning is greater than or equal to the pace of change, an organisation is becoming a dinosaur. A New and Productive Nigeria is POssible, and Nigeria will be OK. -PO