Onyekachi Eze 
The Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has called for transparency in the conduct of the 2027 elections, warning against any attempt to subvert the will of the people.
Speaking on Tuesday at the public presentation of the book “Obi, the Political Change Agent” in Abuja, Obi expressed concern over the deepening poverty in the country, which he attributed to Nigeria’s unproductive system and uncaring leadership.
“This time around, we will make sure that we are everywhere. We will vote. The vote will count. And those who think they have not counted, will count better,” Obi declared.
He lamented that despite the absence of war, millions of Nigerians are living as refugees in their own country.
“We have a system that does not care for the people. Anyone who tells you that this government, or those big men in office, care about you is not telling the truth. Otherwise, we would not have millions of children out of school or citizens who don’t know where their next meal will come from,” he said.
Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, clarified that although he planned to remove fuel subsidy had he been elected president, he would have first eliminated the corruption in the system. He criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led government for removing the subsidy without providing a cushioning mechanism for the poor.
He also advised that anyone entering politics for financial gain should seek another profession, and vowed that the Labour Party would not repeat its past mistakes in selecting candidates.
“At this stage, we are going to search widely for candidates—whether for the House of Assembly or the House of Representatives. That’s something we didn’t do right the last time,” he said.
“We want genuine people in office. If your aim is to make money from politics, then you are part of the problem. Let’s continue to sacrifice—there are no shortcuts. If we use shortcuts, we will never get there.”
Also speaking at the event, Professor Sam Amadi, former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), called for a ballot box revolution to change the country’s political system.
According to Amadi, Nigeria has two options for political transformation: “Either a ballot box revolution or an anarchical, violence-based revolution whose direction no one can predict.”
He dismissed the idea of violent uprisings, warning that such revolutions rarely produce lasting progress.
“The only revolution for Nigeria is a ballot box revolution. It has legitimacy and fits within democratic norms. The idea of red or green berets leading mass mobilization outside of electoral processes is both an illusion and a dangerous distraction,” he said.
Amadi described Mr. Obi as possessing “the best profile, pedigree, personality, and passion to lead this desirable and desired revolution,” adding that Nigeria’s major failing is in attempting to solve problems without first understanding them.
