Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, Peter Obi has said ongoing defections by state governors in the South East cannot guarantee the political capture of the zone.

Obi said this in response to enquiries from reporters in Abuja.

Reporters asked him to react to the gale of defections currently sweeping the South East where he hails from.

This was contained in a statement released by his media team, in Abuja, on Wednesday.

Obi explained that Nigeria was currently a democracy not under military rule where states can be “captured.”

According to him, the people will ultimately decide where to go, not governors or Senators, no party will capture or win any state just because it has a governor.

Speaking specifically on the defection of the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, and APC’s alleged move to capture the South-East for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, Obi said, “Peter Mbah is a good friend of mine. And I believe that as governor, he must have taken his decision based on his own political views and calculations.

“As for the alleged plot to capture the South-East, we are not in a military time when you capture people. You are a leader. You tend to do the right things for them to follow you. So I don’t think anybody is capturing anywhere.

“The government needs to do more if it wants the people to support it.”

Speaking on the planned protest for the release of Nnamdi Kanu by political activist Omoyele Sowore, the former Anambra State Governor said, “I’ve always been consistent on Nnamdi Kanu’s situation.

“There was no need for his arrest in the first place. And I’ve always said that for me, I will consult, negotiate and discuss with anybody who is agitating. I said it clearly and I remain there.

“I thank those who are actually trying to do or say what we’ve been saying for a long time. Go and check what I’ve said before 2020, 2022 and even 2024.

“And now that it has gone to court, the rules should be followed. Not just for Nnamdi Kanu, but for all agitators across the nation. Let’s dialogue with them.

“There’s nothing wrong with anybody agitating or saying let’s dialogue with them. And whatever we do with them, let’s follow the rules. So I thank the organisers and those who are involved.”

On his expectations from the new INEC chair ahead of the 2027 election, Obi declared, “Very simple. He’s a Nigerian. We want a new Nigeria where elections will be free, fair and credible and our people who have the competence, capacity, compassion, character and commitment to lead the nation are elected.

“It’s for the good of everybody. None of us is going to be here forever, and none of us is going to be in his position forever. So whatever position we find ourselves in, it’s to do the right thing. So I wish him well.

“When he (Amupitan) is confirmed, I will congratulate him and tell him to know that one day he’s going to leave that post. Let him ensure that he keeps his reputation.”

Obi was said to have spoken to reporters on the sidelines of a campaign alongside the African Democratic Congress (ADC) Chairmanship candidate for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), in the February 2026 FCT Council elections, Dr Moses Paul, on a visit to LEA Nursery/Primary School, Kapwa, a suburb of Abuja, said education is the bedrock of any society.

He also decried the dilapidated state of the school, noting that the school furniture is in “irreparable conditions.”

Obi wondered why a school with over 200 pupils had no toilet facilities, and promised to give the school a facelift.

He said, “The most important thing we can do as a nation is to invest in basic education. Investment in children is the most important.

“I am here today to support my brother, Dr Moses Paul, the ADC candidate contesting for the AMAC Council. You know he is campaigning and going round the communities in his constituency.” (Vanguard, excluding headline)