The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, has said that it is in the hand of God to determine who will run for election in 2027.
Obi said this while challenging rich Nigerians to do more for the poor in society in the area of provision of water and education.
Obi spoke at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, insisting that 70 per cent of the wealth of Nigeria is in the hands of about one per cent of Nigerians and noted that if point one cent of the population about 200,000 rich Nigerians can deploy their resources for the basic needs of the poor in our midst, the situation will not be as deplorable.
He further charged governments at all levels to ensure that resource deployment is aimed at improving the living standards of the poor in our midst and pulling them out of poverty.
The LP standard bearer said that his plea in these two areas, water and education derives from his discoveries after taking a humanitarian tour of some areas in the country that opened his eyes to the extent of poverty and abandonment of the people.
Obi, who announced the completion of the construction of ten boreholes in some states of the North for a short-term water supply for the poor, said, if 200,000 rich Nigerians join him to do the same in the area of their choice, it would go a long way to solve the water needs of the poor.
Similarly in the area of education, Obi said that the potential he found out mingling with almajiris in the Quranic schools in the North moved him to tears how brilliant the children are but needed adequate support to develop them well to grow to be catalysts of development.
“I am carrying out a campaign to make the rich in our midst do more in providing water to our rural poor and helping to pull the out-of-school children off the streets for proper development.
“This is the time to cut waste, our larger population can’t be suffering conspicuous lack of basic needs like water and we live lavish lifestyles in their midst, our crisis of insecurity and other challenges derives from poverty and it’s our responsibility to pull people out of poverty through good education.”
On what he would do differently as president following his criticism of coastal roads, the LP flag bearer said, that under his watch as President, there would be no road until all the existing roadworks in the country are put in order.
“I cannot embark on a new road when we can’t connect our states and cities in all the geopolitical zones because of bad roads. I will first fix the roads and move the economy.”
In 2027, Obi said his concern now is how to see Nigeria work not the election, “Only God can tell who can run for election in future, my interest now is the poor and how to see Nigeria work.”
