By: Odeh Favour Adiya
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, alongside the party’s Kogi East Senatorial Candidate, High Chief Peter Ameh, have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to guarantee that the 2027 general elections are free, fair, transparent, and credible.
The two political leaders made the call on Sunday at Ogugu in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, during a thank-you tour organised for Ameh following his emergence as the NDC senatorial flagbearer for Kogi East.
Obi, who was warmly received by thousands of supporters in Ogugu, urged the electoral umpire to resist any attempt to manipulate the electoral process in favour of any political party, stressing that the genuine wishes of Nigerian voters must be respected.
Speaking during the event, Obi called for an issue-based approach to political engagements across the country.
He said, “The reception is very warm. What is most important is that we want this campaign to be issue-based. We want all candidates to go round Nigeria and ask questions about the challenges confronting the people.”
“We want to change the dynamics where people go around and ask Nigerians about their problems. When I was coming to Kogi State today, I stopped at Ugbolafo, Otukpa Junction, and asked some of our elderly people what their challenges were. This is what I want other presidential candidates to do.”
“I am moving around Nigeria to see how we can do the right thing. I want the next set of governance to focus on how our children will be in school, how our environment will be secured, and how our people can earn a decent living.”
The former governor expressed deep concern over the worsening economic and social conditions across the country, emphasizing the need for visionary leadership to navigate Nigeria out of its present hardship.
According to him, “I am not worried about what the outcome of the 2027 general election will be. What worries me is the people and how they will protect their votes on election day.”
“The votes of the people must be counted. There is hunger and poverty in the land, and that is why I came here to see what we can do to ameliorate the suffering of our people.”
“My charge to the people here is that they must ensure that there is a free, fair and credible election. This time around, our votes must count. Nigerians must elect those who will lead them.”
He urged voters to make their leadership choices based on key developmental qualities.
“They must do it based on competence, capacity, character, compassion and commitment to turning Nigeria around,” he said.
Obi further highlighted the plight of rural dwellers and the neglect of the nation’s agricultural sector.
“As I moved around, I felt pain seeing how Nigerians are living. Look at our rural areas with huge farmlands. Nobody is supporting the farmers in all ramifications to enable them to produce the food we need to feed the nation,” Obi said.
He reiterated that Nigeria requires leadership with a clear vision and the capacity to reverse what he described as the country’s backward trajectory.
On his part, the NDC Kogi East Senatorial Candidate, High Chief Peter Ameh, stated that the people of the region had no business living in poverty, given the area’s vast agricultural potential and natural endowments.
Ameh said, “Kogi East is really blessed. We should not have decayed infrastructure. Despite having coal in Ankpa, the roads are bad, and people cannot access Enjema properly, despite over 200 trucks leaving the coal site daily.”
“It is painful that we find ourselves in this deplorable state, but we can do something about it. We can have representatives in the legislature who will be at the National Assembly to speak for the people and raise the challenges confronting our communities.”
Lamenting the collapsed state of primary healthcare in the state, Ameh described the situation as unacceptable.
“Our primary healthcare system here in Kogi is dead across the nine local government areas. It is time for us to look at the track records of the candidates contesting elections and assess who can genuinely represent the people at the National Assembly,” he said.
“For me, I have already buried my personal interest in ensuring that the interests of the people become our interest. The people must come first.”
The senatorial candidate alleged that electorate mandates had been subverted in past elections, charging citizens to remain vigilant.
“They have served us before, but these votes were stolen. Today, we are charging the people to go out, vote and protect their votes because it is through the votes they cast that we will have good roads and basic amenities that will provide for our children and secure their future,” Ameh said.
He advocated for increased investment in social infrastructure to revamp critical public sectors.
“It is necessary that our public health institutions and schools continue to have a new lease of life. Our people understand that it is time to bring in new people who are experienced, who have been able to transform their areas of responsibility and have demonstrated capacity at various levels of leadership.”
“Such people should come on board and protect our collective interests,” Ameh concluded.
