Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu, saying he lacks the energy to govern Nigeria.
Obi urged Tinubu to abandon his bid for a second term, arguing that the country needs a president with the energy and capacity to address its mounting challenges.
Obi spoke at the homecoming of former Bayelsa State governor and NDC national leader, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, at the party’s state secretariat in Bayelsa. He said Nigeria did not need a leader who lacked the energy to govern effectively.
He also criticised the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led federal government, accusing it of plunging the country into poverty, hunger, unemployment and insecurity, and failing to provide adequate healthcare and electricity.
“Today, we have a country that produces the highest number of poor people in the world. Today, we have a country where our people are hungry. Nigerians don’t know where the next meal will come from,” he said.
Obi said the NDC offered Nigerians an alternative that would drive development across all sectors.
“We are telling you that NDC is coming to build a new Nigeria that is possible. We want to move Nigeria from consumption to production. We will start by uniting the country,” he said.
He added that an NDC-led government would tackle insecurity, strengthen public institutions and ensure that Nigerians, regardless of their ethnic or geographical backgrounds, felt a sense of belonging.
Obi also pledged to support industries and small businesses to create jobs for young Nigerians. He proposed developing seaports across the South-South region, including in Warri, Port Harcourt, Bayelsa and Calabar. He said improved road infrastructure would connect the states and stimulate economic activity.
Earlier, Dickson urged Bayelsans to give Obi and the party’s candidates in the state overwhelming support at the polls.
Dickson accused the APC of failing to fulfil its promises and criticised what he described as the poor treatment of some people who had served in government.
He called on party members and supporters to mobilise in their communities in support of NDC candidates.
Dickson also warned supporters against intimidation and electoral violence, urging them to remain peaceful while defending their voting rights. He said elections should be won through votes, not through the deployment of security personnel to intimidate voters.
“We don’t do politics with violence. No weapon, no bullet. Overwhelm them with the sheer force in your community. Vote and you follow up your votes,” he told supporters.
