Politics

Peter Obi reveals why he cannot step down for Atiku, read details

Published

2 months ago

September 11, 2026

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has ruled out stepping down for his African Democratic Congress counterpart, Atiku Abubakar, ahead of the 2027 presidential election, saying any decision on a possible opposition alliance must now be taken by the political parties rather than individual candidates.

Obi said the issue was no longer about whether he or Atiku would personally make way for the other, stressing that both men are now presidential candidates of separate political parties.

The former Anambra State governor stated this in an interview with Arise Television aired on Thursday, where he spoke extensively on the 2027 election, the opposition coalition, the economy, national unity, security and governance.

Asked if he would be willing to step down for Atiku, Obi said, “Do you know where we are now? Where we are now is that I’m a candidate, my leader Atiku is a candidate of another party, so you are talking about two parties coming together; it’s no longer me or me, as you are now talking about parties coming together.

“All those parties have candidates. So, it is a discussion. It is no longer me, as Peter, talking. It is like a situation where two corporations are trying to come together. It is no longer something where the two CEOs go for a drink and say, ‘We are going to work together’. They need to look at how to bring these two corporations together.”

The comments come amid continuing efforts by opposition politicians to forge a common platform capable of challenging President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress in the 2027 presidential election.

In 2025, Obi, Atiku and other opposition leaders were involved in the coalition that adopted the ADC as its platform, raising expectations that the former allies could once again work together ahead of the 2027 poll.

The coalition, however, did not result in Obi and Atiku contesting the 2027 presidential election on the same platform.

Obi subsequently emerged as the presidential candidate of the NDC, while Atiku became the ADC presidential candidate.

Their separate candidacies have since intensified speculation over whether one of the two former allies could eventually step down in favour of the other as part of efforts to produce a single opposition presidential candidate.

But Obi said the question should now be considered within the broader context of a possible agreement among political parties rather than as a personal negotiation between himself and Atiku.

According to him, the existence of candidates across the various opposition parties means that any merger or alliance would require negotiations on how the different political structures would be integrated.

His comments appear to leave the door open to negotiations between the parties, but reject the framing of the issue as a simple decision by Obi to surrender his presidential ticket to Atiku.

The NDC candidate was also asked whether he would accept the position of vice-president if an arrangement was reached with Atiku.

Obi denied that he had previously rejected an offer to serve as Atiku’s running mate.

“I don’t know where that was said. I wasn’t even in a position where that was being offered, and I refused,” he said.

Obi and Atiku have a history of running together on the same presidential ticket.

Obi was Atiku’s running mate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2019 presidential election.

Their political paths diverged ahead of the 2023 election, with Obi leaving the PDP and contesting the presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party, while Atiku remained the PDP presidential candidate.

The 2027 contest will therefore mark another election in which both politicians are seeking the presidency, although this time from different opposition platforms after their involvement in the coalition effort.

The former Anambra governor also used the interview to draw a distinction between the economic policies he would retain if elected and the areas where he would seek to change the direction of the Tinubu administration.

Asked to name one policy of the present administration that he would retain if elected president, Obi identified the floating of the naira.

“There’s one – the floating of the Naira. I’m not going to defend it. But I’m going to put productivity to make it more valuable to the people.”

The Tinubu administration introduced the naira float in June 2023 as part of its broader foreign exchange reforms, which sought to unify the multiple exchange-rate system and allow market forces to play a greater role in determining the value of the currency.

The reform has remained one of the most contentious aspects of the administration’s economic programme, particularly because of the sharp depreciation of the naira following its implementation and its effect on inflation, imports, household incomes and business costs.

Obi’s position, however, suggests that he would not reverse the floating exchange-rate framework if elected but would seek to address what he considers the underlying weakness of the Nigerian economy.

Rather than defend the policy in isolation, he said his administration would focus on increasing productivity to improve the value of the naira and strengthen the economy.

The former governor has consistently advocated moving Nigeria away from what he describes as a consumption-driven economy towards production, agriculture, exports and investment.

His argument during the interview was that a stronger productive base would provide greater support for the currency than attempts to artificially defend the naira without corresponding growth in economic output.

The exchange-rate issue is expected to remain a major campaign subject in 2027 as Nigerians continue to contend with the consequences of high inflation, rising living costs, unemployment and pressure on household incomes.

Beyond the economy, Obi warned against allowing ethnic considerations to dominate the 2027 presidential election.

The NDC candidate said Nigerians should judge political candidates and their programmes on the basis of what they could offer the country rather than their ethnic backgrounds.

He said, “Our election should not be driven by tribalism.”

The statement comes amid growing political debates over regional calculations, zoning and the geographical distribution of presidential support ahead of the 2027 election.

Obi also sought to reassure Nigerians in the North that his political ambitions were not targeted at any region, stressing that he remained committed to the development of the region.

Addressing historical grievances linked to Nigeria’s political history, particularly attempts to associate him with the 1966 military coup, Obi said he was only four years old when the event occurred.

He said, “I am committed to the future of the North. I believe the North has so much to offer Nigeria. As a country, we can make more money from agriculture than we do from oil.

“There were regrettable things that happened in our collective history. I was not personally involved in those sad events, but it is time to show love and pursue unity in Nigeria. We must not dwell on the past. We can only build through love.”

The statement was also an appeal for Nigerians to move beyond historical grievances and focus on issues that could unite the country.

Obi argued that agriculture represented one of the major areas through which Nigeria could expand its economic base, particularly in the North, where large areas of land and agricultural potential remain available.

His comments form part of his broader argument that Nigeria must increase domestic production and reduce its dependence on oil and imported goods.

The NDC presidential candidate also criticised the practice of Nigerian presidents spending their holidays abroad, saying an elected president should remain in the country and use such periods to engage directly with citizens.

Obi said he would mandate domestic vacations for the President if elected, arguing that the country’s leader should use the opportunity to visit areas facing serious security and developmental challenges.

“Nigeria’s President must spend his vacation in Nigeria. We cannot continue with this nonsense. Where do other countries’ own leaders spend their vacations?

“Nigeria’s President should go to Zamfara, to Borno, to Anambra, to anywhere. As President of Nigeria, I will visit other countries, but I will not take my holidays there,” he said.

When asked about the security implications of spending vacation time in states affected by insurgency and banditry, particularly Borno, Obi maintained that the President should not use security concerns as a reason to leave Nigeria during holidays.

“It doesn’t matter. Because that’s the country he lives in. That’s why he takes the money to Europe,” Obi declared.

He drew a comparison with political leaders in other countries, arguing that the conduct of a Nigerian president should similarly reflect a strong connection with the country and its people.

“Do you know what it means for the British Prime Minister to say he’s going for vacation in Germany? That will be the end of him,” he said.

Obi also criticised what he described as brief presidential visits to states affected by crises, arguing that the President should spend enough time on the ground to understand the problems and engage the relevant stakeholders.

The NDC candidate said, “A president who has not slept three nights anywhere in Nigeria,” Obi claimed.

He argued that visits to troubled communities should not merely be symbolic or limited to short official engagements but should involve sustained interaction with residents, traditional rulers, state officials and other stakeholders.

“He should go to Benue and say, ‘I’m here for the next three days; I want to see these stakeholders in the state,’” Obi stated.

Source: punchng.com

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Politics

READ FULL LIST: Tinubu’s 2027 campaign promises

Published

5 hours ago

November 11, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The All Progressives Congress has unveiled a four-pillar manifesto outlining President Bola Tinubu ’s agenda for a second term in office, with promises to tackle insecurity, reduce the cost of living, expand infrastructure and strengthen governance between 2027 and 2031.

The manifesto, titled Renewed Hope Agenda 2.0, was made available to PUNCH Online on Tuesday.

The document consolidates the eight-point agenda of the Tinubu administration into four strategic pillars: Secure and Resilient Nation; Better Quality and More Affordable Life for Every Nigerian; Energy, Infrastructure and Economic Growth; and Effective and Accountable Governance.

Under the four pillars, the party outlines at least 35 promises.

APC MANIFESTO: ALL COMMITMENTS FOR 2027–2031

PILLAR 1: SECURE AND RESILIENT NATION

1. We Will Restore Peace in Every Community

1. Complete the establishment and equipping of the four new Army divisions in Makurdi, Ilorin, Jalingo and Benin City, recruit and train the 28,000 additional personnel approved, and report publicly on their deployment.
2. Sustain intelligence-led kinetic operations against insurgent and kidnapping networks to degrade and dismantle their operating bases, backed by independent verification of reported operational outcomes to build public trust.
3. Strengthen surrender and rehabilitation frameworks through standardised, verifiable reporting on all screened, reintegrated, and prosecuted ex-combatants.
4. Establish specialised zonal counter-terrorism capabilities while fortifying physical security across schools, commercial markets, places of worship, and vital transport corridors.
5. Expand peace-building, trauma support, and deradicalisation programmes to enable long-term social recovery, rebuild civic trust, and safely resettle internally displaced families in their homes.

2. We Will Build a Police Service People Can See, Trust, and Call

1. Train and deploy the 50,000 newly recruited officers and expand recruitment and tactical training towards a 1:400 police-to-citizen ratio, maximising visible patrols across residential neighbourhoods, commercial centres, schools, and transit corridors.
2. Launch full implementation of the Harmonised Police Reform programme, deploying modern digital record systems, geographic mapping tools, officer body cameras, emergency dispatch channels, and forensic infrastructure nationwide.
3. Transfer static private-protection duties to a fortified Civil Defence service, beginning with recruitment of the 30,150 approved personnel, returning trained police officers to frontline public safety and crime prevention.
4. Work with the National Assembly, State Houses of Assembly, and governors to enact a constitutional and legal framework for accountable state and community policing, maintaining strict national standards and citizens’ rights.

3. We Will Protect Our Borders, Farms, Forests and Shared Wealth

1. Complete e-surveillance coverage of all mapped borders (31 of 190 mapped areas remain), extend e-Gates, passenger-data (APIS) and MIDAS border systems to more entry points, and strengthen patrol, screening and intelligence-sharing.
2. Complete nationwide Mining Marshals coverage across all identified mining sites (over 530 identified, 420 already protected) and resolve outstanding governance and funding questions so the unit is accountable and credible.
3. Deploy trained Forest Guards, Agro-Rangers, and Mining Marshals to safeguard agricultural belts, farming communities, grazing routes, national forest reserves, and mineral deposits.
4. Launch full implementation of the National Protection Policy and Strategy for Critical National Assets, with real-time surveillance across energy pipelines, electrical power grids, railways, schools, and health facilities.

4. We Will Give Our Security Forces the Tools to Act Faster

1. Expand domestic military production of ammunition, personal protective gear, armoured vehicles, and tactical drones, generating high-skilled Nigerian jobs while securing defence supply chains.
2. Construct integrated command, control, communications, and intelligence systems to achieve early threat detection, rapid tactical response, and seamless multi-agency operational coordination.
3. Deepen defence research, technology transfer agreements, and private capital co-investment through strategic regional and international defence industrial partnerships.

5. We Will Stand by Those Who Stand Guard for Us

1. Implement the approved multi-tier salary increases for service personnel in full and extend them to cover operational allowances, while broadening affordable housing, healthcare, and education support for serving personnel and their families.
2. Expedite administrative processing for valid insurance and pension payouts, guaranteeing permanent institutional care and educational sponsorship for the families of fallen heroes.
3. Complete rehabilitation of dilapidated police barracks and housing infrastructure.
4. Institutionalise advanced tactical training, comprehensive psychological support, physical rehabilitation programmes, and modernised working conditions across all military and security services.

6. We Will Respond Faster in Emergencies and Give Second Chances

1. Expand non-custodial measures, cognitive rehabilitation, technical vocational training, and social reintegration pathways for low-risk offenders to reduce overcrowding of correctional facilities.
2. Modernise fire stations, equipment and coordination, extending fire-service coverage progressively towards every local government area.
3. Upgrade maritime surveillance, cybersecurity defences, emergency communications networks, and a national drone fleet for early warning and rapid search-and-rescue operations.

7. We Will Make Identity Safer, Simpler and More Useful

1. Enrol 95 per cent of citizens and legal residents in the National Identity Database (137,260,026 enrolled as at June 2026), establishing specialised mobile registration units for agrarian communities, older persons, and vulnerable citizens.
2. Complete the integration of the remaining databases and agencies (11 of 20 databases and 44 of 50 MDAs are already integrated) into the central foundational identity database, enabling secure digital verification and eliminating administrative redundancy across public service delivery.
3. Enforce rigorous data privacy protections while leveraging biometric identity to eliminate financial fraud, secure digital transactions, and ensure state social welfare reaches verified recipients.

PILLAR 2: BETTER QUALITY AND MORE AFFORDABLE LIFE FOR EVERY NIGERIAN

1. We Will Guarantee School Access, Safety, And Educational Retention

1. Scale HOPE-EDU nationwide to halve the number of out-of-school children by 2031, extend AGILE (now in 18 states) to further states where the number of out-of-school girls is highest, and establish dedicated return-to-school pathways for teenage mothers.
2. Building on the 80,284 teachers already certified and licensed, recruit and train 20,000 additional teachers, prioritising female educators and underserved rural communities nationwide.
3. Enforce safe-school standards, expand school water and sanitation facilities, and publish an annual education dashboard tracking enrolment, dropout, and completion rates.

2. We Will Elevate Learning Quality, STEMM Mastery, And Employable Skills

1. Prioritise foundational learning, science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and digital capabilities across all educational levels.
2. Strengthen partnerships with industry to provide practical, work-linked training and move students into the workforce, aligning courses with labour-market needs.
3. Scale NELFUND, expand the National Smart Learning Initiative, sustain industrial peace in public universities, and extend the Student Venture Capital Grant and Diaspora BRIDGE to additional tertiary institutions.
4. Expand technical, vocational, and digital training programmes, building on the TVET initiative (117,152 verified trainees, monthly stipend raised from N22,500 to N30,000) and the Digital Technical Academy, measuring systemic success by graduate employment, enterprise survival, and workplace productivity.
5. Strengthen the Mandatory School Sports Programme and the National Sports and Education Excellence Programme (N-SEEP) as the cornerstone of sports development, scaling the school-sports pilot (61 schools, 3,500 teachers and 15,000 students trained so far) to all states.

3. We Will Expand Primary Care, Health Insurance, And Medical Manufacturing

1. Expand static and mobile primary care, upgrade secondary facilities across all local government areas, and strengthen referral networks to tertiary hospitals, raising the share of functional primary health centres from 53 per cent today towards 90 per cent by 2031 and extending direct quarterly financing under the Basic Health Care Provision Fund from about 8,300 to all 17,600 primary health centres.
2. Sustain maternal, newborn, immunisation, cancer-screening, and early-detection programmes, prioritising families with the greatest financial need and tracking the proportion of births attended by a skilled health provider as a headline HOPE-PHC indicator.
3. Expand active health insurance coverage from more than 23 million enrollees to 40 per cent of Nigerians by 2031, subsidising poor and vulnerable Nigerians through the Vulnerable Group Fund, and cut out-of-pocket spending from 71 per cent to below 50 per cent of health expenditure.
4. Complete the revitalisation of the remaining primary health centres (about 1,000 still under way), bring steady power to 30 per cent of health facilities by the end of 2027 through Power for Health solar installations, and scale MAMII free emergency obstetric care from 172 local government areas to all 774.
5. Complete the National Health Information Exchange to ensure portable electronic records by 2031, while achieving complete Emergency Operations Centre coverage across all states.
6. Recruit, train, and retain health workers through improved terms and housing, commercialise BioVaccines Nigeria to achieve 50 per cent local production of essential medicines by 2031, and complete oncology centres across all geopolitical zones.

4. We Will Accelerate Youth Employment, Enterprise Finance, And Digital Capabilities

1. Execute a comprehensive national youth employment strategy with a published baseline and annual targets, aiming to halve youth unemployment by 2031 and to report each year the share of new labour-market entrants who find work.
2. Expand skills training to two million young citizens, scale NiYA and Digital Literacy for All (748,988 trained to date) toward 30 million Nigerians, and publish NYSC private-sector placement performance data, making job placement and private-sector partnership the test of every skilling programme.
3. Expand NEXTGEN Bank lending, the rejuvenated Nigeria Youth Investment Fund, and YouthCred’s partner-bank network, and enact the proposed Youth Bank law, to provide credit without traditional collateral requirements.
4. Expand the existing BOI-NYSC window and the NYSC Corpreneur and SAED support (860 corps members funded with grants of N100,000 to N2,000,000) into dedicated entrepreneurship grant and loan windows for corps members and young innovators, rigorously tracking business survival and job creation metrics.
5. Expand MSME support hubs and existing incubation centres, digitise beneficiary tracking, and establish a Digital MSME Academy with integrated e-learning.
6. Complete the first review of the National Youth Service Corps in its 53-year history so that the scheme becomes a skills-driven programme, rebuild the orientation camps, and publish NYSC placement and business-survival data.

5. We Will Expand Women’s Financial Inclusion, Public Leadership, And Protection

1. Achieve at least 35 per cent women’s representation in the next Cabinet and major MDAs, backed by an enforceable legal pathway and a public tracking dashboard, towards 35 per cent across all public appointments.
2. Expand the GLOW credit-guarantee window into a permanent national facility and scale the Nigeria for Women Project across all 36 states.
3. Work with the Development Bank of Nigeria and financial institutions on products and practices, such as collateral-light lending and credit-guarantee facilities, that bring more women entrepreneurs into the formal financial system, and further innovate the Nigeria for Women Project to widen its reach.
4. Deploy Sexual Assault Referral Centres and specialised units nationwide, establishing complete state coverage with integrated shelters, counselling, accelerated prosecution, and published justice outcomes.

6. We Will Deploy Targeted Social Welfare, Minimum Wage Protections, And Decent Work

1. Complete NIN validation of the National Social Register (13,456,371 persons onboarded with NIN or BVN so far) as a unified welfare database, verify 20 million or more by 2030, and scale direct cash transfers well beyond the more than 10 million people reached so far, linking them to skills, productive assets and finance.
2. Implement the US$1 billion HOPE-SP programme, unveiled in August 2026, beginning with its emergency shock-responsive cash transfer for 7.6 million vulnerable households, as the primary framework for moving households from relief to sustainable prosperity, while expanding school feeding into a full national programme.
3. Expand integrated welfare assistance for children, older persons, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable families without bureaucratic barriers or indignity.
4. Enforce the Discrimination Against Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act so that public buildings, schools, transport and workplaces are accessible, and report progress each year.
5. Enforce nationwide implementation of the N70,000 minimum wage, expand employment training to 100,000 unemployed citizens annually by 2030, modernise labour legislation, and strengthen factory inspection.
6. Execute the 2027–2031 Labour Migration Roadmap while extending legal protections and consular safeguards to Nigerians working lawfully abroad.

7. We Will Make Food Affordable For Every Family

1. Steady staple-food prices by building on the Guaranteed Minimum Price scheme and the strategic grain reserve, with published reserve levels and releases, and publish a monthly staple-food price tracker alongside headline inflation so that families and farmers can see what is changing.
2. Cut waste and cost between the farm and the table through the storage, cold-chain, farm-to-market road and agro-processing commitments in Pillar 3, so that harvests reach markets fresh and fewer are lost along the way.
3. Lower the cost of moving food through the CNG, road, rail and port commitments in Pillar 3, so that savings on transport show up in the prices families pay in the market.
4. Give children and mothers nutrition support through schools and primary health centres, alongside the national school feeding programme under HOPE-SP, so that no child’s learning or growth is held back by hunger.
5. Strengthen food-safety standards, including HACCP and ISO 22000, across processing, markets and export chains, working with the Standards Organisation of Nigeria and NAFDAC, so that food is safe as well as affordable.

8. We Will Protect Consumers And Household Purchasing Power

1. We will complete enforcement of the Digital, Electronic, Online and Non-Traditional Consumer Lending Regulations 2025 (DEON), made under the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018. The FCCPC register will be the single source of truth for who may lend, unregistered operators will be delisted and prosecuted, and violators will face fines of up to ₦100 million or 19 per cent of turnover and disqualification of directors. Complaint-resolution rates (80.1 per cent in 2025) and effective interest rates will be published so Nigerians can compare before they borrow.
2. We will strengthen redress in banking and fintech, where the largest sums are lost. With the Central Bank of Nigeria, we will establish a joint protocol under which failed transactions are reversed automatically within a fixed window, unexplained deductions are refunded with interest, and unresolved complaints escalate directly to the FCCPC, which recovered over ₦10 billion for consumers in six months of 2025 alone.
3. We will give the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal the capacity to deliver justice on time, building on its US$220 million ruling against Meta and WhatsApp with fast-track rules, statutory timelines, digitised filing and a direct mechanism to execute confirmed penalties, with recoveries returned to affected consumers.
4. We will expand market surveillance where households feel inflation most: food, fuel, medicines and everyday essentials. Through a joint FCCPC–SON–NAFDAC framework and a strengthened Weights and Measures Department, we will mandate clear price display, verify scales, pumps and meters nationwide, and keep unsafe products off the shelves, enforcing competition law against price gouging, hoarding and cartels rather than imposing price controls.

9. We Will Deliver Mass Social Housing, Affordable Mortgages, And Secured Land Titles

1. Complete and hand over the Renewed Hope Cities and Estates now under construction (more than 15,000 units on 14 sites); launch the Tinubu Mass Social Housing Scheme in every local government area, building from a costed pilot of 11,421 units to 200 units in each of the 774 local government areas (154,800 units); and, with MREIF and FMBN mortgages and licensed private developers, work towards 200,000 homes in the next term, tracked on a public dashboard that counts units handed over and mortgaged, not just started.
2. Capitalise MREIF toward N1 trillion, with pension-fund participation, to deliver 20-year fixed-rate mortgages nationwide; complete FMBN recapitalisation and the Mortgage Registry, raise the loan ceiling from N50 million to N85 million and grow National Housing Fund contributors from six million to ten million by 2028; and enact the National Housing and Built Environment Regulation Policy and its six Bills, including developer licensing and mandatory escrow for off-plan sales.
3. Deliver the first phase of Land4Growth, one million digital land titles across 18 to 20 reform-ready states, and extend it towards nationwide digital land titling; establish the National Housing Data Centre to publish monthly data on approvals, starts, completions, prices and mortgages; and extend humanitarian housing for conflict-displaced families beyond the 252 homes already piloted.
4. Broaden the housing mix beyond new-build ownership by supporting incremental (build-as-you-earn) housing, affordable rental housing, developer finance and low-income housing finance alongside mortgages, so that more households have a route to a decent home.
5. Within the first 100 days, seek Presidential and Federal Executive Council approval of the National Housing and Built Environment Regulation Policy, the National Mortgage Industry Policy and the six reform Bills, so that there is one verified housing figure and one door for investors.

PILLAR 3: ENERGY, INFRASTRUCTURE & ECONOMIC GROWTH

1. We Will Deliver the Power Nigerian Production Needs

Power must stop being a binding constraint on factories, exports, investment and household welfare. Under the Electricity Act, 2023, we will strengthen coordinated federal and state market development, competitive embedded and captive generation, transparently contracted bilateral supply and bankable distribution investment.

We will execute commercially viable gas-to-power projects by addressing gas supply contracts, transportation, payment security and dispatch constraints together; not by adding stranded generating assets. Transmission reinforcement, the Presidential Power Initiative, network automation and investment in industrial feeders will be programmed against demand from factories, agro-processing zones, technology parks and export-processing facilities.

We will restore the commercial foundations of the Nigerian Electricity Supply Industry: meter households and enterprises, enforce differentiated service obligations, drive down technical and commercial losses, manage legacy liabilities transparently, and protect vulnerable consumers through explicit, fiscally funded support. We will enable dedicated, metered power for industrial clusters and free zones, with quarterly public reporting on average delivered MW, reliable hours of service, voltage quality and manufacturing downtime. Gas should also lower the cost of productive logistics. The Presidential Initiative on Compressed Natural Gas and Electric Vehicles (Pi-CNG & EV) reports 105 refueling stations across 24 states and the FCT. We will expand safe refueling and conversion capacity along viable freight and public-transport corridors, prioritizing export haulage, agricultural logistics and industrial fleets where gas supplies and route economics support genuinely lower total costs. CNG transport must complement; not be misrepresented as; a substitute for gas-fired electricity generation.

2. We Will Diversify the Economy Through Non-Oil Exports for Growth and Shared Prosperity

The new growth model must be organised around productive capital, competitive Nigerian enterprise, industrial scale and exports that earn foreign exchange.

We will move from fragmented projects to an investment-led national production strategy aligned with Priority 7 of the Renewed Hope Agenda: industrialisation, digitalisation, creative industries, manufacturing, export diversification and jobs. We will measure capital actually deployed in productive assets, not headline investment announcements. Total foreign capital importation reached US$23.22 billion in 2025, but only US$923 million was classified as FDI; the bulk was portfolio capital.

We will rebuild viable manufacturing capacity and modernise strategic industrial facilities through disciplined private investment, investment aftercare, restructuring finance and commercially defensible public support. Each geopolitical region will develop at least one anchor industrial cluster with identified anchor investors, shared power and water, skilled labour, industrial logistics, domestic supplier networks and market-tested product specialisation. Regional anchors will compete on clear project economics; they will not be sheltered indefinitely from competition.

We will modernise free zones and export-processing zones as genuine production and export platforms, with enforceable standards against diversion, under-invoicing and illicit entry into the domestic market. We will deploy the Nigeria First procurement approach to create credible initial demand for quality domestic suppliers, while applying evidence-based tariffs, trade remedies, customs valuation and border enforcement to correct distortions, tariff inversions and smuggling. Protection will be targeted, lawful, transparent, time-bound and conditioned on competitive performance; productive machinery and intermediate inputs will not be indiscriminately penalised. The export ambition is measurable. NEPC documented US$6.1 billion in non-oil merchandise exports from 8.02 million tonnes across 281 products and 120 destination markets in 2025.

We will more than double those earnings through processed goods, sophisticated manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and healthcare manufacturing, well-governed free zones, quality infrastructure, reliable certification, market intelligence, factoring, export credit and commercially grounded bilateral market access. Services must be a second export engine: the IMF’s provisional 2025 balance-of-payments estimate places Nigeria’s services-export receipts at approximately US$5.1 billion.

Digital services, finance, engineering, creative work, software and professional services will have distinct export-financing, skills, regulatory and market-entry strategies rather than being treated as merchandise trade.

To mobilise the capital required, we will work with development-finance institutions, commercial banks, domestic institutional investors, equity investors and international partners to expand investment-grade project preparation, supplier finance, working-capital access, export receivables finance and risk-sharing structures. Job quality, local value added, export performance and measurable enterprise productivity; not entitlement; will govern public support.

3. We Will Complete the Roads, Rail, Ports, Airports and Broadband That Connect Our Country

National infrastructure must be designed and evaluated as a production-and-trade network. Nigeria’s ports handled 129.3 million metric tonnes in 2025, including more than 2.1 million TEUs; 39% of cargo tonnage was outward-bound. We will publish corridor-specific completion plans for priority roads, freight rail, ports, airports, inland dry ports, cold chains and intermodal interfaces, with funding, owner, milestones and service-level evidence visible to the public.

We will complete and maintain strategically important highway and railway corridors linking agro-industrial belts, mining centres, manufacturing anchors, major population centres and border crossings. Port reform will combine modern capacity, transparent concession performance, freight rail, pre-arrival processes, equipment availability and effective 24-hour operations. Export cargo; including perishables; will receive properly designed cold-chain facilities, air-cargo access and predictable risk-based inspections. The transport system will be evaluated through freight time, rail cargo, port dwell time, road condition and export volume; not ribbon-cutting alone.

The National Single Window will be the country’s core digital trade infrastructure, not an import-only portal. Its end-to-end Export Track must integrate permits, standards and conformity certificates, licences, inspection, payments, Customs formalities, export documentation and Form NXP workflows, with enterprise-level status visibility and a uniform audit trail.

Project BRIDGE is the digital counterpart of physical trade corridors. The World Bank describes a programme to deploy over 90,000 km of open-access fibre, extending the estimated 2025 national backbone from 35,000 km to 125,000 km. We will move the project from financing commitments to independently certified fibre delivered, live, available and commercially used, connecting industrial zones, schools, hospitals, research institutions, ports and underserved communities. Broadband subscriptions are not unique subscribers; digital success must also be measured by affordability, network uptime, coverage and services exports.

4. We Will Accelerate the Catalytic Industries That Will Build Nigeria’s Next Economy

Nigeria’s value chains must capture more processing, technology, skilled employment and exports; not merely extraction or final consumption. We will focus industry policy on investable national value chains: software, data and creative services; critical minerals, mining services, steel and aluminium; gas-to-fertilisers, methanol, petrochemicals and industrial energy; agro-processing, food manufacturing and sugar; cotton, textiles and garments, footwear and leather; plastics, packaging, pulp, paper and fast-moving consumer products. Growth in information and communication reached 9.62%, arts and entertainment 11.93%, and mining and quarrying 6.37% in Q2 2026.

Each priority industry will have an anchor-project pipeline, product-specific tariff and trade-remedy review, shared infrastructure plan, financing strategy, skills pipeline, standards pathway and export-market development programme. In minerals, beneficiation and transparent traceability must enable value added in Nigeria rather than the shipment of low-value ores. In metals, locally available energy, scrap, ore, engineering capacity and product standards will underpin steel and aluminium production. In leather and footwear, textiles, packaging and pulp and paper, regional clusters will integrate farmers, processors, materials suppliers, manufacturers, designers and exporters.

We will strengthen intellectual-property commercialisation, certified domestic supply, responsible resource extraction, cleaner production and technology transfer. Nigeria First procurement will favour goods that satisfy published quality and price tests. Access to incentives and protection will be linked to improved productivity, locally embedded supply chains, value addition and measurable export competitiveness.

5. We Will Sustain Stability, Investor Confidence and Deepen Strategic Long-Term Capital

Investors require credible power supply, accessible foreign exchange, consistent policy and financing costs that permit factories to compete.

Stability is not a substitute for productive growth; it is what allows investment to survive the years between a construction decision and commercial production. Headline inflation was 14.63% in September 2026, food inflation 19.59%, and the CBN policy rate stood at 23% after its September Monetary Policy Committee meeting. These indicators show why predictable prices, exchange-market functioning, affordable long-tenor finance and regulatory certainty must be managed as a single investment proposition; while respecting the operational independence of monetary and fiscal institutions.

We will publish clear, prospective and consultative schedules for trade policy, investment incentives, electricity pricing, tariff changes, free-zone administration and sector regulation. Policy consistency must include stable contractual treatment, effective dispute resolution, straightforward permitting, protection of legitimate investor rights and non-discriminatory enforcement against smuggling and uncompetitive import practices. We will maintain openness to essential inputs, capital goods and technology, while using lawful remedies only where domestic production can meet transparent competitiveness tests.

Foreign exchange resilience must come increasingly from competitively earned export receipts, diversified services, responsible investment and lower structural import dependence; not administrative suppression of legitimate trade. The CBN’s 2025 balance-of-payments account recorded a US$14.51 billion goods surplus but a US$14.58 billion net services deficit, while year-end reserves stood near US$45.75 billion. We will monitor both gross and suitably defined net reserves, external earnings, service exports, balance-of-payments composition and investor access to legitimate FX. A surplus financed only by oil, temporary import compression or volatile portfolio inflows is not the intended industrial outcome.

Our capital agenda will prioritise productive investment funds, credit guarantees, factoring, receivables finance, creditworthy power contracts, long-dated local-currency instruments, investable infrastructure concessions and effective corporate governance. Every major investment promise should be traceable from approval to land, financial close, construction, commissioning, exports and jobs. Publishing that pipeline; together with predictable rules; will help convert investor interest into real factories and durable confidence.

PILLAR 4: EFFECTIVE AND ACCOUNTABLE GOVERNANCE

1. We Will Make Justice Faster And Fairer

1. Scale e-filing and electronic case management across all federal court divisions, extend them to magistrate courts and digitalise court processes nationwide by 2029, supported by a dedicated funding line for court facilities.
2. Press for judicial financial autonomy in every state, take forward the structural review of the judicial system and begin phased implementation of its recommendations.
3. Strengthen timelines for filings, hearings and judgments, with transparent digital tracking to reduce avoidable adjournments.
4. Appoint additional judges where justified, expand Alternative Dispute Resolution and extend the Police Duty Solicitors Scheme and legal aid.

2. We Will Defend Integrity And The Rule Of Law

1. Implement the National Policy on Justice and strengthen the National Judicial Council’s disciplinary timelines and transparency so misconduct is dealt with promptly and publicly.
2. Deepen the capacity of anti-corruption agencies and courts to investigate, prosecute and conclude cases lawfully and promptly.
3. Strengthen asset recovery, action against money laundering and trafficking, and reintegration support for survivors of trafficking.
4. Commission an independent audit of unfinished and under-used public assets and recoverable waste within the first 100 days, publish the results, and report each year what has been recovered, completed or put to use.

3. We Will Bring Decisions And Resources Closer To Communities

1. Build on the Supreme Court’s July 2024 judgment affirming the financial autonomy of all 774 councils by closing the remaining implementation gaps, publishing allocations to each council with clear standards for performance and accountability, and supporting the revenue-allocation review through to legislative adoption.
2. Complete the outstanding Oronsaye mergers to lock in lasting savings, complete legislation for the remaining regional development commissions, and publish exactly how subsidy savings are lowering the cost of governance and funding development.
3. Continue constitutional and fiscal review to devolve appropriate powers and resources to states and local governments.
4. Expand citizen participation in state and local planning, budgeting and oversight.

4. We Will Build A Public Service That Respects People’s Time

1. Move all federal ministries and agencies to reliable digital workflows, application tracking and end-to-end public services.
2. Launch a Citizen Service Guarantee with published service standards and response times, and a “tell government once” rule so that citizens and businesses give the same information only once.
3. Implement the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan 2030 and link staff performance to measurable public outcomes.
4. Provide competency-based training, strengthen procurement and improve staff welfare, workplace accessibility, power and infrastructure.

5. We Will Make One Trusted Identity Open Doors To Public Services

1. Use the national identity enrolment drive set out in Pillar 1 to give every citizen one trusted identity for public services, with mobile registration units for rural communities, older persons and others who need them.
2. Complete the integration of the remaining databases and agencies into the central foundational identity database, enabling secure digital verification and simpler public services, so that citizens do not repeat paperwork.
3. Use the identity system to help citizens open accounts, receive benefits and transact securely, within the data-privacy protections set out in Pillar 1.

6. We Will Listen, Explain And Respond

1. Hold quarterly citizen and stakeholder engagements and establish a clear system to receive, track and respond to feedback.
2. Publish service standards, performance information and feedback outcomes so people know what to expect and what has changed.
3. Deepen civic orientation, already delivered in all 36 states and the FCT, complete the digital archive and strengthen accurate, ethical public communication.

7. We Will Use Foreign Policy To Protect Nigerians And Grow Influence

1. Lead regional cooperation on peace, democracy, border security and the Lake Chad Basin; keep diplomatic, trade and security channels open with our Sahel neighbours, building on the 2024 Niger security agreement and the August 2026 Maiduguri Sahel retreat, and strengthen intelligence-sharing against cross-border threats.
2. Complete the remaining 30 per cent of Automated Consular Services, strengthen diaspora data systems to sustain remittance growth, and deepen Nigeria’s role as a BRICS partner country (since January 2025), pursue participation in the G20 and a seat on the UN Security Council, and advance Nigeria’s voice in global climate and maritime negotiations.

HOW THE APC SAYS IT WILL DELIVER THE PROMISES

The manifesto also outlines four delivery principles:

1. Fund it first from what we already lose.

Recover and protect public value, from oil revenue to electricity billing and project completion, so that progress rests less on new taxes and new borrowing.

2. Complete before we begin.

Repair before replacing, complete before starting afresh, prevent before treating, process before exporting, and measure outcomes rather than expenditure.

3. Put a name, a date and a number on every commitment.

Each commitment will carry a baseline, a target, a cost, an owner and a reporting date, published in a public delivery tracker.

4. Let citizens keep the score.

Delivery will be reported on public dashboards, verified by independent bodies and reported honestly and openly.

First 100 Days: Establish the Discipline

Within the first hundred days, the manifesto says the administration will:
1. Publish the baselines and named owners for the headline commitments under each of the four pillars, so that the clock starts in public.
2. Publish the first quarterly cost-of-living basket, so that the measure we will be judged by exists from day one.
3. Name and open the first secured farm-to-market corridors, with published security and output data.
4. Launch the Citizen Service Guarantee and the “tell government once” rule for public services.

Source: punchng.com

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Politics

APC women mobilise support for Tinubu in Jigawa

Published

5 hours ago

November 11, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

The APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC) Directorate of Women Mobilisation, led by Dr Betta Edu, has taken the First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu’s women empowerment initiative to markets, hospitals and communities across Jigawa State as part of efforts to strengthen grassroots engagement ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The outreach featured visits to markets and hospitals, interactions with community stakeholders and an empowerment programme for women, aimed at improving livelihoods and supporting vulnerable groups.

In a statement made available to PUNCH Online on Wednesday, speaking during the exercise, Edu said the initiative was designed to bring the First Lady’s empowerment programmes closer to women at the grassroots.

“Our mission is to reach women where they live, work and conduct their businesses. We want them to understand that they are important stakeholders in national development and that their economic wellbeing remains a priority,” she said.

She added that empowering women at the grassroots was essential to strengthening families, communities and the nation’s economy.

“When women are empowered, families become stronger and communities are better positioned for development.

“We are here to encourage our women, listen to their concerns and ensure they are connected to opportunities that can improve their livelihoods,” Edu said.

At various markets, Edu and members of the Directorate engaged women traders on economic empowerment, livelihood opportunities and the importance of women’s participation in national development.

The delegation also visited hospitals, where it interacted with patients, offered words of encouragement and commended healthcare workers for their dedication to duty.

The outreach culminated in an empowerment programme attended by women beneficiaries and grassroots stakeholders, who expressed appreciation for the initiative.

The beneficiaries also pledged their support for President Bola Tinubu, the Jigawa State Government and other APC candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The wife of the Jigawa State Governor, Ambassador Hajiya Namadi, commended Senator Tinubu and the APC PCC Women Mobilisation Directorate for extending the initiative to communities across the state.

She described the outreach as a demonstration of commitment to women’s welfare and grassroots development.

“This kind of engagement is important because it brings leadership closer to the people, particularly women who are making significant contributions to their families and communities. We appreciate the First Lady for remembering women at the grassroots,” she said.

She stressed the need for greater participation of women in community development and political engagement, adding that women should be encouraged to take active roles in shaping the future of their communities.

“We must continue to create opportunities for women to participate meaningfully in community development and governance. Their voices, contributions and experiences are essential to building stronger communities,” she added.

She also applauded the Directorate for taking the Renewed Hope message directly to the people.

Edu and members of the Directorate further intensified grassroots mobilisation across Jigawa State through engagements with women leaders, traders, community stakeholders and grassroots organisations.

The exercise also involved activating mobilisation structures across the state’s 27 local government areas.

According to figures provided for the exercise, Jigawa State has 2,867,176 registered and newly captured voters in the provisional combined register, spread across 287 political wards and 4,522 polling units.

The APC’s stated target of securing two million votes for President Tinubu in the state is expected to inform further grassroots mobilisation, voter sensitisation and engagement with women across the political wards.

The Jigawa outreach forms part of the APC PCC Women Mobilisation Directorate’s nationwide programme under the guidance of the First Lady, combining economic empowerment, humanitarian outreach and political mobilisation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Source: punchng.com

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Politics

Omokri accuses Obi of politicising Flamingos’ victory

Published

6 hours ago

November 11, 2026

Newsbreak365_Admin

Nigeria’s Ambassador to Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, Reno Omokri, has accused former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi of politicising the Flamingos’ FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup victory by attempting to associate himself with the team’s achievement.

Omokri recalled how former President Goodluck Jonathan and former Head of State Muhammadu Buhari received victorious Nigerian football teams in 2013 and 1985, respectively, amid the controversy surrounding Obi’s attempt to meet the Flamingos at the airport.

He made the remarks in a statement on Tuesday while criticising Obi over his claim that officials of the Nigeria Football Federation prevented him from greeting the Flamingos after their FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup triumph.

Omokri said he was physically present with Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, in February 2013, when the then President received the Super Eagles following their AFCON victory.

He argued that Buhari and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, despite their political ambitions ahead of the 2015 general election, did not attempt to bypass the protocol or politicise the team’s achievement.

“Neither General Muhammadu Buhari nor Waziri Atiku Abubakar, who had contested and lost to the then incumbent, and were planning to throw their hats in the ring with him in 2015, attempted to circumnavigate the protocol or sour the joyous national mood by politicising the situation. Rather, they commended the team and the nation,” he said.

Omokri also recalled the 1985 victory of Nigeria’s Baby Eagles, now known as the Golden Eaglets, saying they first met Buhari, who was then the military Head of State, after winning the inaugural FIFA U-16 World Championship in China.

He noted that the late businessman and politician Moshood Abiola, whom he described as one of Nigeria’s biggest contributors to sports development, particularly football, supported the team financially and morally throughout the tournament.

Omokri said Abiola’s contributions to sports were recognised in 1980 when the African Sports Journalists Union named him the Pillar of Sports in Africa.

However, he noted that despite Abiola’s support for the team, the players did not meet him first after their victory on August 11, 1985.

The ambassador also cited Spain’s reception of its national team after winning the 2026 FIFA World Cup, saying the players first met King Felipe VI before formally engaging with the media.

According to the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the team’s first official stop after returning to Madrid was the Zarzuela Palace, where the King, Queen Letizia and other members of the Royal Family received the delegation before it proceeded to meet Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.

“That is the convention, not only in Nigeria and Spain, but in every respectable, responsible and ordered society run by the rule of law and constitutional democracies,” Omokri said.

He argued that placing personal interests above established national protocols could be interpreted as a failure to prioritise the country’s interests.

“Placing yourself above such conventions and wanting them circumvented because of your personal agenda, itinerary, and convenience could be interpreted by reasonable people as you not putting national interest first,” he said.

Omokri further accused Obi of attempting to associate himself with a victory he did not contribute to, describing the move as opportunistic.

“Sports should be protected from the ‘toxic’ politics of individuals who try to sow disunity at a time when football has united the nation,” he said.

He added, “Wanting to insert yourself into a victory that you did not contribute to, and a team that you did not even acknowledge until they won, is not only opportunistic, it falls beneath the standard of behaviour expected from a statesman, who should know that their first port of call should be the Head of State.”

The controversy followed Obi’s allegation that NFF officials prevented him from greeting the Flamingos when they returned to Abuja from Morocco after winning the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup.

Obi said he arrived at the Abuja airport at about 7am on Monday to board a flight to Enugu when he sighted the team.

He said he asked his protocol officer, Jackie Wayas, to find out whether he could greet and welcome the players but was informed that NFF officials had refused his request.

He also alleged that the officials warned they could lose their jobs if they allowed him to approach the players, describing the incident as another example of what he called toxic politics.

However, the Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, rejected Obi’s account, saying officials who accompanied and received the Flamingos did not see the former governor around the players or the international terminal.

Dikko said two individuals wearing Obi’s campaign face caps and other campaign attire approached officials to request a meeting and photographs with the players.

He explained that the request was declined because it was made without prior arrangement and the players were tired after their journey from Morocco.

He also disputed Obi’s claim that officials risked losing their jobs over the matter and urged the former governor to apologise to the players, arguing that the controversy had shifted attention away from their achievement.

Similarly, the Director-General of the National Institute for Sports, Philip Shaibu, said Obi could have waved at the players like other Nigerians at the airport rather than seeking a meeting with them.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Tuesday, Shaibu argued that the support given to athletes before and during competitions was more important than seeking to celebrate with them after victories.

He also maintained that President Bola Tinubu had supported the team during the tournament.

The Director-General of the NSC, Bukola Olopade, also accused two men claiming to be Obi’s protocol officers of breaching security procedures while attempting to arrange a meeting with the Flamingos.

Olopade said officials did not see Obi at the airport when the team returned, adding that the two men approached officials while the players were being escorted into buses after their flight.

The Flamingos defeated Japan 2-1 in the final in Rabat, Morocco, on November 7 to win their first FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup title, becoming the first African country to win the competition.

Source: punchng.com

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