Our country needs unity. At present, we are not united. We are divided along ethnic and religious lines…economic hardship and insecurity affect Nigerians irrespective of their tribe or religion
By Moses Okorie
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to place national unity above ethnic and religious considerations and elect a leader capable of bringing the country together.
Obi made the call during a global digital town hall on Sunday, where he engaged Nigerians at home and abroad on voter mobilisation, election security and strategies for protecting the electoral process ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The former Anambra State governor said Nigeria could not make meaningful developmental progress while the country remained divided along ethnic and religious lines.
“Our country needs unity. At present, we are not united. We are divided along ethnic and religious lines,” Obi said, noting that economic hardship and insecurity affect Nigerians irrespective of their tribe or religion.
He said the country needed a president who would unite Nigerians and work relentlessly to improve national security.
Obi also called on voters who wanted to elect their preferred candidates to actively protect their ballots by remaining at polling units until votes were counted.
“We must stay and insist that votes must count,” he said, urging his supporters to mobilise voters and ensure that polling agents were deployed across the country.
According to him, his campaign was working to expand its network of polling agents and collaborate with other political parties and stakeholders to promote free, fair and credible elections.
The NDC candidate also cautioned Nigerians against allowing money or intimidation to influence their choices during the election.
He argued that accepting inducements from politicians could ultimately deprive citizens of resources that should be invested in critical sectors such as security, healthcare and education.
“If you accept money from them, that is money they would otherwise have spent on security, hospitals, and education,” he said.
On the security situation, Obi called for greater support for security agencies, including adequate logistics, equipment and welfare for personnel and their families.
“We have security agencies, and they must function effectively. We must provide them with the logistics they need to perform their duties,” he said, adding that Nigeria needed a president who would “lead from the front.”
The digital town hall formed part of Obi’s mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 election, with voter participation, protection of ballots and grassroots mobilisation featuring prominently in the engagement.
The event was streamed through Zoom, YouTube and other social media platforms and attracted participation from Nigerians in the country and the diaspora.