In a blistering takedown of Nigeria’s ruling elite, Labour Party presidential candidate, in the 2023 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, on Tuesday declared that those who rigged and suppressed the democratic will of the people will face a reckoning in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the public presentation of a book: Obi, the political change agent, Obi gave a rallying cry to Nigerians across the country and especially, members of the Obidient movement to be prepared to return to their trenches.
Recalling some of the difficult events of 2023, Obi told his audience that Obidients would more than just reenact their audacious show at ballot in 2027.
“They didn’t count our votes. But come 2027, we will count them out—one by one.
“This is not about me. It’s about the people. Anyone who was part of the electoral theft, anyone who benefited from it—they will be counted out. The days of impunity are ending,” he said, amid thunderous applause from the audience.
Obi’s remarks touched a nerve in a crowd still bitter over the outcome of the 2023 elections, widely described as marred by irregularities, voter suppression, and lack of transparency
The former Anambra State governor painted a grim picture of a nation on the edge. He said Nigeria has become “a crime scene” where millions are displaced, dying of poverty and neglect, while those in power continue to waste public funds on luxuries.
“Someone asked me today, ‘When will you celebrate?’ I said, celebrate what? The ship is sinking. Look at the Titanic—people were still dancing on the upper deck, not knowing they were about to drown. That’s where we are now.”
He condemned political profligacy of leaders whom he said focus on renovating offices, building new mansions, and throwing lavish parties while basic healthcare fails and mothers die in childbirth.
“A woman dies every seven minutes during childbirth in this country. That’s the latest report. Yet, we’re busy painting offices and building monuments while people die of preventable causes. It’s unforgivable.”
On the floundering Nigeria’s economy and the unstable exchange rate, Obi pointed directly to reeking corruption and illicit financial flows as the root cause, stressing that no economic reform would succeed without first dismantling the system of stolen wealth that distorts markets and blocks real productivity.
“People say I talked about floating the naira or regularizing FX. Yes—but in an organized way. First, remove the illicit money. If you steal money and buy dollars, you don’t care what the rate is because it’s not your sweat. That’s why the market is broken.”
He cited examples from Ghana and Angola, where strong, transparent leadership has helped stabilize currencies and restore confidence in the national currencies adding that if the proper things are done before the removal of fuel subsidy, the cost of PMS should have dropped to less than N500 by now
He galvanised the Obidients to be ready for total mobilization of Nigerians across the country, insisting that the current crop of leaders do not have anything to offer the ordinary Nigerian other than poverty.
“Otherwise, we’ll not have millions out of school. Otherwise, we’ll not have millions who don’t know where their next food will come from. Otherwise, we’ll have, like you’ve seen in some of the things I’ve mentioned here, that in any country, those in government and those in business produce value but here, we produce poverty.
Because a simple definition of money is an exchange of value. So, when people are corrupt, they’re stealing money and not giving any value back. So they’re producing poverty. So, we must use our money to purchase the value. That is what we are lacking now”.
Obi assured the Obidients that unlike what happened in 2023, loyalty will be the benchmark for anyone that run election under the platform of the party going forward
Earlier at the book presentation acting National Chairperson of Labour Party, Senator Nenadi Usman eulogised the former Anambra state governor noting that his entrance into national politics has captivated and restored hope among the people
“In every generation, there arises a voice that does not merely echo the frustrations of the people but dares to chart a new path for them. Mr. Peter Obi, whose life and political saga we unveil today, has become such a voice.
The book authored by a veteran journalist Ike Abonyi , she said, tells a story far beyond politics.
“It is the story of accountability against impunity, simplicity against flamboyance, principle against expediency and prudence against financial recklessness”.
She said the 259-page book invites readers to the inevitability of a New Nigeria through the Obidient Movement which she says has become an emblem of youth political awakening and civic courage.