Frontline Presidential Aspirant of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, has said the time to rescue Nigeria has come, and all hands must be on deck to achieve this in 2027.

Addressing delegates at the first National Convention of his party, the NDC, in Abuja on Saturday, the former Anambra State governor said, “Our choice as a people is therefore clear: whether to surrender to despair and national decline, or to summon the courage to rescue our country and rebuild it on the foundations of unity, equity, justice, competence, and productivity.”

“Where we are now, national unity is no longer optional; it is a national necessity. We must rise above ethnicity, religion, region, and political divisions to recover the soul of our nation.”

“Let us be clear. No tribe can prosper alone. No religion can develop Nigeria in isolation. No region can achieve comparative greatness while other regions are left behind. Our diversity must become our strength, not a weapon of division in the hands of desperate politicians.”

Also speaking at the convention, the NNPP Presidential candidate in 2023 and former Governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso, said zoning to the South is necessary for national healing. “This represents a true opportunity for real national healing.”

The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party remarked that, “With unity and effective leadership, Nigeria can become a productive and prosperous nation once again.”

According to him, “We must deliberately support agriculture and manufacturing so they become the highest contributors to our Gross Domestic Product. Special strategic attention must be given to unlocking the enormous agricultural potential of Northern Nigeria and connecting it to industrial production across the federation.”

“We must move decisively from a nation of consumption to a nation of production.”

Obi said that the country “can no longer afford policies that foreclose our youths.”

He said that it’s only “competent, compassionate, and transformative leadership that can defeat insecurity, reduce corruption, create jobs, tame inflation, improve education, pull people out of poverty, and restore hope to millions of Nigerians.”

“Our youths must no longer be viewed as problems to manage but as assets to empower. Our women must no longer be neglected but included as equal partners in nation-building. Persons with disabilities must find space to live in normalcy.”

Obi told the convention delegates, “The task before us is difficult, but it is not impossible. Our challenges are not insurmountable. Nations have recovered from worse situations when courageous people chose sacrifice over silence and patriotism over personal gain. Nigeria too can rise again.”

Obi expressed regret that, in our country today, “the most painful aspect of our political existence is that many who once benefited from democratic governance have now become willing accessories to the destruction of democracy itself. Those who once fought for justice now openly celebrate electoral injustice. Those who once spoke against impunity now defend coercion, manipulation, intimidation, and outright political gangsterism, especially against opposition voices.”

“What we are witnessing is not politics; it is a systematic assault on democracy and the will of the people.”

“Nigeria today stands at a dangerous crossroads. Our democracy is under severe threat. Our nation is drifting without direction, and our people are passing through immense suffering.”

“Across the world, Nigeria is increasingly described as a failing and disgraced nation. This is not the destiny God ordained for our great country.”

Across virtually every recognised indicator of good governance—accountability, political stability, rule of law, control of corruption, government effectiveness, regulatory quality, and the separation of powers—Nigeria continues to record alarming failures.

“The institutions that should protect the people are weakening daily, while the burden on ordinary citizens grows heavier with each passing moment.”

“Today, over 140 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty. Tens of millions of young people remain unemployed or underemployed. Inflation continues to crush families. Businesses are shutting down. Farmers can no longer safely access their farms. Communities live in fear. In this month alone, hundreds of innocent souls were aimlessly lost.”

The high points of the convention were the zoning of the presidential position to the South and the confirmation and inauguration of party officers.

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