Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has issued a passionate call to Nigerians, urging them to take a firm stand on the nation’s direction ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking on Tuesday at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue held at the Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre, Bauchi, Obi emphasized that citizens must begin asking critical questions about the country’s trajectory and work collectively to reverse what he termed as negative trends.
Judiciary Has Changed, and Not for the Better
Addressing the dialogue’s theme, “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy?”, Obi lamented the declining integrity of Nigeria’s judicial system.
“In the past, the judiciary played positive roles in enshrining democratic leadership in Nigeria, unlike today,” he stated.
Recalling his own legal battle over the Anambra State governorship, Obi noted that judicial officers who handled his case ruled based on merit, not personal connections.
“This is a former Justice of the Supreme Court seated here. I had never met her in my life until after she wrote the judgment that made me the Governor of Anambra State. She did that without having to know me,” Obi recounted.
He added that a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal also determined his case on its merits.
“That is supposed to be the role of the judiciary in a democratic society — delivering judgment based on the merits of the facts available,” he said.
However, Obi raised alarm over what he described as increasing political interference in judicial matters, alleging that some decisions are now influenced by political considerations rather than facts.
“What we have today is judges singing, ‘Mr President, on your mandate we shall stand.’ That is not what the judiciary is supposed to be in a true democracy,” he declared.
A Call to Action for Every Nigerian
Obi urged citizens to reflect deeply on the nation’s direction and demand responsible leadership from those in power.
“Therefore, I call on the people of Nigeria. It is time for every Nigerian to sit down and find ourselves, where this nation is going. We need good leaders because there are people among us today who remain adamant and do not want a good country for our children,” he said.
He warned that decisions made today would have lasting consequences for future generations and urged Nigerians to reject the culture of bad governance, injustice, and political manipulation.
Commending Jonathan’s Vision
Obi praised former President Goodluck Jonathan for consistently organizing the democracy dialogue, describing it as a vital platform for strengthening democratic governance and promoting judicial neutrality.
He concluded with an optimistic note, saying Nigeria has immense potential to become a prosperous nation if citizens unite and demand accountability from their political leaders.
