The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has described his Allied Peoples Movement (APM) counterpart, Seyi Makinde, as qualified to become Nigeria’s president.

Obi made the declaration on Monday at the inauguration of Makinde’s presidential campaign office in Abuja, where he called for greater unity among political actors ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The former Anambra governor said the contest should not be driven by desperation or political hostility, but by the desire to build a better country.

“We want a Nigeria of unity, inclusion; we have a candidate who is contesting for President today, my dear brother Makinde. Is he qualified to be President? Yes, he is qualified,” Obi said.

He also pledged to support whoever emerges as the winner of the 2027 presidential election, provided the victory was achieved through a free, fair and credible process.

“What we are doing today, for us, is not about desperation, but we want Nigerians to make their choice. All of us should come together to build a new Nigeria. We can’t continue the way we are going; our people are hungry and poor.

“Whoever wins genuinely from a free, fair, and credible election, we will all work together to save this country from collapse,” he said.

Obi urged politicians to move away from politics centred on personal disagreements and instead focus their energy on addressing the challenges confronting Nigerians.

He said his presence at the inauguration was intended to demonstrate solidarity and promote a new approach to political engagement.

“That’s why I’m here to show solidarity and assure you that we are changing the system, we don’t want politics of quarrel, politics of disagreement. Let our quarrel be to feed our people, we want a Nigeria where the child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody,” Obi added.

He said the country needed political leaders capable of putting the welfare of citizens above personal and partisan interests, stressing that Nigerians should be allowed to freely choose their next president. (Nigerian Tribune)