Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, emphasized his non-desperation for the presidency in 2027 during a recent press briefing in Abuja.
Amid criticism following his remarks on road infrastructure, Obi reaffirmed his commitment to addressing Nigeria’s pressing issues, particularly poverty.
“We live in a system where public officeholders and politicians are only seen during elections. I can tell you that it is an everyday job. I have said it several times that I am not desperate to become the president of Nigeria. But I am desperate to see the poor and less privileged Nigerians being pulled out of their difficult situation daily,” Obi said.
Highlighting the urgency of alleviating poverty, Obi stressed the need for continuous effort beyond election cycles.
“That is what I am desperate to see. And all of us can do it as well. You can’t even be happy or fulfilled when several million (Nigerians) don’t know where the next meal will come from. When I see children suffering, it increases my pain. This is not about campaign.”
Obi advocated for a strategic shift in infrastructure development, particularly regarding road repairs versus new projects. He criticized the prioritization of “white elephant projects” over essential road maintenance, citing examples of major highways in dire need of attention.
Drawing from his experience as the former governor of Anambra State, Obi emphasized the importance of completing existing projects before embarking on new ones.
“If I were to be the president of Nigeria today, nobody would think of any new road until we finish the existing ones. In this country, we are always trying to do things anyhow. Today, you can’t move from Lagos to Badagry, a short period of fewer than 100 kilometres. It has been under construction for several years. Lagos-Ibadan Expressway has also not been completed for several years.
“The same thing applies to the Kano-Kaduna, Kano-Maiduguri and Sokoto-Funtua. I can even show you the state of all the roads from Kaduna to Abuja. In Kaduna bypass alone, you can queue for hours. You can’t even drive comfortably from Abuja to Okene to Auchi and Benin. It is almost impossible.
“These are roads that already exist and have been in dire need of repairs for years. That is where we need to put our resources and deal with it. We already have a network of roads that need fixing. Why are people introducing things when the existing ones are in bad shape?
“When I was governor of Anambra State, I started by completing the roads started by my predecessor before thinking of doing new ones. For me, this is the critical area that needs attention and that is where I will concentrate,” the former Anambra governor added.