Cosmas Chukwu, Enugu
The Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Mr. Peter Obi, has made appeal to members of the Fourth Estate of the realm to serve as uncompromising referees of Nigeria’s political landscape.
Addressing media executives, editors, and industry leaders at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) in Enugu, Obi emphasised that the survival and prosperity of the country depend heavily on the media’s ability to elevate electoral discourse, enforce issue-based campaigns, and hold public officials accountable to the highest standards of governance and fiscal transparency.
Speaking on the imperative of maintaining a healthy democratic environment as election cycles approach, Obi stressed that politicians must not be allowed to derail national progress through mudslinging or voter intimidation. “We made a choice to be a democratic country, and that choice can help our country to grow. It is important that you help us, the politicians, to ensure that as we approach elections, our discussions, our campaigns, everything we do, is strictly based on issues that will bring good governance, unity, security, and prosperity for the country,” Obi declared.
He urged editors to actively call out politicians who step out of line, stating, “If anybody steps out of it and goes into name-calling, you say, ‘No, no, no! That is not the issue; you shouldn’t go there.’”
Reflecting on his tenure as Governor of Anambra State and his personal political relationships, Obi dismissed rumors of personal animosity between himself and current Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, or other political leaders.
He recounted past election cycles where opposition figures, including former Lagos State Governor Babatunde Fashola and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, campaigned freely in Anambra without hostility. “Me and Soludo are close. As a banker, he was my customer, and we have not changed. Soludo is my respected elder brother. I and my wife are godparents to Soludo’s children. So we are not quarrelling, and we will never quarrel,” Obi clarified, stressing that political contestation must never destroy personal relationships or public peace.
Setting the record straight regarding his financial stewardship as governor, Obi reiterated that he left a substantial fiscal cushion for his successors. “The day I left office, I left $150 million in savings. No other governor has left dollars. The day I came in, what I met was $18 million in debt. When I left, it was $30 million, and I left $150 million in savings,” Obi asserted.
He argued that proper public accounting and long-term financial planning would allow states to thrive without being crippled by debt, adding that leaders must be willing to answer directly to citizens rather than hiding behind media proxies. “We are not voting for your wife, your children, or your uncle. We are voting for you, and we want you to come and answer what we want.”
Highlighting severe systemic distortions in national planning, Obi drew a stark contrast between federal budgetary allocations and the decaying healthcare infrastructure across Nigerian rural communities. “My village people have no hospital, no primary healthcare. They just go to church and pray. The rate of ill-health Jesus is curing in this country is too much; we need to also help him to build the hospitals,” Obi lamented.
He pointed out the misallocation of resources in the national budget, noting, “The capital budget of the National Assembly Clinic for 2024 is more than the capital budgets of the University of Ibadan Teaching Hospital, University of Lagos, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Ahmadu Bello University, University of Jos, and Port Harcourt put together! You can Google it!”
In his final charge to the editors, Obi warned that systemic failure and anarchy ultimately spare no one, urging the press to act as the primary defense for the nation’s future. “We have no other nation except this one, and anarchy consumes everybody. If anything goes wrong in this country, it will consume all of us. You people must help us to stop the abuse, or it will take its revenge on your children,” Obi concluded, calling on journalists to question candidates thoroughly on their background, qualifications, and concrete plans for the nation.
For a better society
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