When I campaigned with GEJ in 2023, Northerners said they do not want to hear anything– Peter Obi

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, mentioned his experience campaigning alongside former President Jonathan in 2015. During this campaign, he encountered resistance from northerners who expressed disinterest in hearing anything from them. He recently revisited this incident while engaging with Nigerians on Twitter space, where he addressed concerns about the country’s division along ethnic and religious lines. Obi shared his thoughts on how to address these divisions and restore unity to Nigeria.

Recalling the 2015 campaign, Peter Obi observed that despite attractive proposals and campaign promises made by Buhari, the poverty situation in the north did not significantly improve in the eight years that followed. He highlighted that there was no notable difference in the cost of bread or the overall security situation in the north compared to the south.

“When in 2015, I campaigned across Nigeria then with Jonathan, I saw this happening where northerners were like we don’t want to hear anything, we don’t want to see you in the north. And there were so many attractive proposals, campaign promises that Buhari gave then, and he was voted into office. 8 years after, we did not see, maybe there is, any reduction in the poverty in north. I did not see where the north is buying bread cheaper than the south…there was no improvement, they were not more secure.”

He pointed out that similar divisive attitudes can be seen in the southwest today, where some people feel entitled to power without considering the broader implications. Obi attributed these divisions to politicians using them as tools for competition. To emphasize his point, he challenged people to show him where bread is cheaper in Ibadan, illustrating the lack of tangible benefits in some regions.

According to Peter Obi, the key to solving these issues lies in bringing competent, principled, and capable leaders to the forefront. He believes that such leaders can effectively address these divisions and ultimately make them disappear, leading to a more united Nigeria.

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