Former Anambra State Governor and presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, alongside his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has taken the party’s campaign activities to Kaduna State ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The duo participated in a town hall meeting in Kaduna, where residents and other participants had the opportunity to raise questions and share their concerns about challenges confronting their communities and the country.
Obi disclosed details of the engagement in a statement posted on his Facebook page after the meeting.
According to the former governor, the town hall was organised to provide an avenue for the NDC presidential candidates and other members of the party to engage directly with Nigerians.
He said the Kaduna event followed an earlier town hall meeting held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, as the party continued its series of consultations with citizens.
Obi said he attended the Kaduna programme with Kwankwaso and other NDC candidates. Before the town hall session, the delegation also visited the Sheikh Muhammad Sambo Memorial Islamic Institute in Rigachikun, Kaduna.
Several issues affecting the country featured prominently during the Kaduna engagement, including insecurity, poverty, healthcare, education, corruption, fuel costs and the broader condition of the Nigerian economy.
Obi said the meetings were intended to give political leaders an opportunity to listen directly to citizens and obtain firsthand accounts of the difficulties confronting them, rather than depending exclusively on information supplied through government officials or party structures.
He said participants used the platform to ask questions, express concerns and offer suggestions on matters affecting their everyday lives.
Insecurity was among the key issues discussed during the meeting. Obi said the NDC leadership would seek to create conditions that would enable Nigerians displaced by violence and other security challenges to safely return to their communities.
He particularly referred to citizens who have been unable to return to their homes, communities and farms because of insecurity.
According to him, restoring security would also be critical to reviving economic activities and improving the livelihoods of people affected by displacement and violence.
The former Anambra governor also addressed the issue of poverty, stressing the need to create more opportunities and build an economy capable of supporting decent living standards for Nigerians.
He said greater investment in critical sectors, particularly healthcare and education, would be necessary to achieve that objective.
Fuel costs also formed part of the discussions at the Kaduna town hall. Obi said the participants examined issues surrounding corruption and what he described as inefficiencies associated with the fuel subsidy regime.
He maintained that efforts to ease the pressure created by fuel costs should be considered within broader discussions on how Nigeria manages its economy.
The Kaduna engagement followed the NDC’s earlier town hall meeting in Port Harcourt in September, where issues including economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, infrastructure and the state of the economy were discussed.
At the Rivers State meeting, Kwankwaso addressed the economic challenges confronting Nigerians and raised concerns about purchasing power, education, healthcare, infrastructure and insecurity, particularly across Northern Nigeria.
The Kaduna town hall has consequently added to the series of direct engagements between the NDC’s presidential candidates and citizens as the party continues its consultations ahead of the 2027 elections.
In his post-event statement, Obi also urged other political actors to engage directly with Nigerians and listen to their views.
“Let me use this opportunity once again to call on our opponents to also speak directly with the people and listen to their feedback,” Obi said.
He described direct engagement with citizens as an essential component of democratic leadership, arguing that elected officials and those seeking public office should maintain close contact with the people.
“The very essence of democracy is people-centred governance. Leaders and aspiring leaders must therefore leave their comfort zones and interface directly with the people they seek to serve.”
Obi expressed appreciation to the NDC leadership and organisers of the Kaduna town hall, while also commending residents and other participants who attended the engagement.
He said the interaction demonstrated the importance of listening to citizens and gaining a clearer understanding of their concerns before seeking to lead them.
The former governor concluded his message by reiterating the slogan associated with his political platform:
“A New Nigeria is POssible, and Nigeria will be OK.”
