Presidential election candidate, Peter Obi, has called for non-violent electioneering as supporters gather at rallies and local markets across Nigeria. The polls for the successor to President Muhammadu Buhari, who has served two terms, will take place on February 25th, 2023.
Speaking at a rally in Lagos on Saturday, Obi urged citizens to vote for the Labour Party (LP) and promised a new and peaceful country. He also addressed reports of violence against his supporters and criticized security forces who have harassed citizens.
“We will apologize to all those who are victims of police brutality. Nigeria will be a peaceful country,” said Obi. He went on to promise that his administration would be good for business, with a focus on making gas more profitable than oil.
The former governor of Anambra State called on the security forces nationwide to protect the fundamental rights of free speech and assembly and warned that the people’s civil space must not shrink further. Peter Obi told the crowd that he and Datti Baba-Ahmed would revolutionize governance and create a new Nigeria where citizens can live in peace ahead of the election.
Obi and Baba-Ahmed, both from the private sector, promised to take Nigeria away from sharing to producing and provide jobs to millions of youths, thereby pulling people out of poverty. In regards to Lagos, the nation’s commercial hub, Obi promised to rectify hiccups at the seaports and create an enabling environment for businesses.
The LP flag bearer reminded the massive crowd that the presidential election on February 25th will be based on the competence, character, and competence of candidates, not on tribe, religion, or turn. “It’s the turn of Nigerians to take back their country and reposition it for a huge role in the comity of nations,” he said.
The rally was also attended by Baba-Ahmed, LP National Chairman Julius Abure, among others, who reinforced the belief that a secure new Nigeria is possible through Obi and Baba-Ahmed and the Labour Party.
