Lagos Rally: Apology to victims of police brutality, press freedom and 11 other things Peter Obi promised to do as President
After weeks of touring the six geo-political zones states of Nigeria including some of the states in the northeast ravaged by more than a decade of terrorism, Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, on Saturday, February 11, 2023, ended his presidential campaign in Lagos, the nation’s former capital that has been described as one of the states with his largest support base.
Presenting himself and his running mate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed as the needed leader for a country that has witnessed more divisions along ethnic lines and economic woes in the last eight years, Peter Obi reeled out some of his plans that focused on the young population.
Majority of his supporters who are young Nigerians are the worst hit by the country’s rising unemployment, economic hardship, insecurity and police brutality.
The country’s unemployment rate, according to the National Bureau of Statistics, rose to over 33.3%, with 53.4% unemployment rate among people aged 15 to 24 as of the fourth quarter of 2021. This is now forcing the country’s young population out of the country in search of greener pastures. A report by the Africa Polling Institute (API) reveals that 73% of Nigerians were looking to emigrate with their families in 2021 – a 41% increase compared to 2019 results.
In a 10-minute speech aimed at offering hope to the young population who defied reports of attacks on Saturday morning and gathered at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos, venue of the rally, Obi reeled out some of his plans for the country if elected President.
While noting that Nigeria has all the endowment to be a great country, Obi, however, said all the desired change and transformation won’t happen overnight.
“We are not going to change everything overnight, but be assured, you will see it physically, measure it and see the deliverables,” Obi said.
Here are 13 major promises from the 10-minute speech by Peter Obi at the Tafawa Balewa Square in Lagos.
Security and Unity
We will secure and unite Nigeria.
We will ensure that when we start, after some years, no Nigerian will say I’m from the East, North or West, but you will be proud to say I’m a Nigerian.
We will produce enabling environment that will spur investment. Nobody will steal our oil and gas.
As soon as we secure the country, farmers will go back to farm, and we will support them to be more productive.
Poverty and Empowerment
We will work hard to move you out of poverty.
We will support the youths to start businesses and our promise won’t be on TV, it will be physical, you will see it. It will be measurable.
We will work hard to make sure our youths are employed and the way to do it is to move this country from consumption to production.
We will use food inflation to drive down inflation in the country. What they will produce will lead to agricultural revolution and export that will earn the country more money and our reserve will increase, and exchange rate will stabilise.
Respect for Rule of Law
We will ensure there is rule of law and order.
When you vote for us, there will be freedom of press so the press can criticise what we are doing.
Police Brutality:
Our security won’t be for harassment. They’ll be in your care.
Police will be your friend, not enemy and they’ll be trained to do the work of policing.
We will apologise to all the victims of Police brutality and ensure it never happens again.
After reeling out his plans and taking a jibe at the two other leading candidates from the PDP and APC for being too old to govern the country and for their parties’ failure to change the fortune of Nigerians for good during their time in power, Obi, 61, asked Nigerians to hold him and his 53-year-old running mate responsible for a new, secured and productive Nigeria.
