Former Anambra State governor Peter Obi has said the 2027 general election will be a contest between Nigerians and poor governance, as he formally registered as a member of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Anambra State.
The former presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) made the remarks on Saturday while flagging off the ADC’s membership registration exercise in the state.
Obi, who has indicated his intention to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, urged Nigerians to participate actively in the party’s ongoing online registration.
“With the agreement of all national leaders, some of whom are here where we are flagging off today, I am urging everybody to go and register, obtain your card and sign up online. We want to register as many Nigerians as possible,” he said.
He believed that the 2027 polls would be driven by public demand for accountable leadership.
“The election in 2027 will be Nigerians against bad leadership. I assure you, the election will be Nigerians fighting for justice,” Obi added.
The former governor also argued that the South-East deserves an opportunity to produce Nigeria’s next president, saying the region remains deeply integrated into the country.
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“South-East is part of Nigeria and wants to serve. No other zone will claim to be more Nigerian than the South-East because everywhere you go in Nigeria you see someone from the South-East who has built a house and is living there,” he said.
Obi further stressed the need to tackle poverty as a way of addressing insecurity, saying lifting people out of hardship would help reduce crime.
“A Nigeria where we must lift people out of poverty because insecurity today can be reduced if we pull people out of poverty. The more you reduce poverty, the more you reduce criminality,” he said.
He also called on party members to expand the ADC’s support base by recruiting new members nationwide.
“Our exercise today is very simple, go and become fishers of men,” he told supporters.
Meanwhile, the senator representing Anambra Central, Victor Umeh, and former presidential aide Ben Obi also completed their registration with the ADC on Saturday.
Party leaders earlier gathered in Awka to launch the membership drive and encouraged supporters to return to their wards to register and mobilise new members.
Obi registered at Agulu Ward 2 in Anaocha Local Government Area, while Umeh enrolled at Aguluzigbo Ward 1 in the same council area. Ben Obi registered in Agulu Awka, Awka South Local Government Area.