Kwankwaso says zoning NDC presidential ticket to South is good for national healing

● “Time to rescue Nigeria is now,” says Obi at NDC Convention

Peter Obi says the moment for rescuing Nigeria has arrived, and it will take a united push to make it happen in 2027.

Speaking at the first National Convention of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Abuja on Saturday, the former Anambra governor told delegates the country stands at a choice point: surrender to decline or rebuild on unity, equity, justice, and productivity.

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“National unity is no longer optional; it is a necessity,” Obi said. “We must rise above ethnicity, religion, region, and political divisions to recover the soul of our nation. No tribe can prosper alone. No region can achieve greatness while others are left behind. Our diversity must become our strength, not a weapon for desperate politicians.”

-“Zoning to the South for ‘national healing”-

NNPP 2023 presidential candidate and former Kano governor Rabiu Kwankwaso backed the convention’s decision to zone the NDC’s 2027 presidential ticket to the South, calling it an opportunity for national healing.

“With unity and effective leadership, Nigeria can become productive and prosperous again,” Kwankwaso said. He urged deliberate support for agriculture and manufacturing, with special focus on unlocking Northern Nigeria’s agricultural potential and linking it to industry nationwide. “We must move decisively from a nation of consumption to a nation of production.”

-A call for new leadership priorities-

Obi warned that Nigeria can no longer afford policies that shut out young people. He said only competent, compassionate, and transformative leadership can tackle insecurity, cut corruption, create jobs, tame inflation, improve education, reduce poverty, and restore hope.

“Our youths must no longer be seen as problems to manage but as assets to empower. Women must be included as equal partners. Persons with disabilities must have space to live with dignity,” he said.

He painted a grim picture of the country’s current state, citing weakening institutions, rising poverty, unemployment, inflation, business closures, and insecurity. “Today, over 140 million Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty. Tens of millions of young people remain unemployed or underemployed. Farmers can no longer safely access their farms. In this month alone, hundreds of innocent souls were lost.”

Obi also lamented what he called a betrayal by those who once fought for democracy but now defend electoral injustice and political intimidation. “What we are witnessing is not politics; it is a systematic assault on democracy and the will of the people.”

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-Convention outcomes’

The high points of the convention were the zoning of the presidential ticket to the South for a single four-year term and the confirmation and inauguration of new party officers.

Obi closed with a call to action: “The task before us is difficult, but not impossible. Nations have recovered from worse when courageous people chose sacrifice over silence. Nigeria too can rise again.”