During a presidential town‑hall meeting at the Metropolitan Hotel in Calabar on Wednesday, Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi vowed that his administration would pursue kidnappers of schoolchildren into their hideouts, saying he would not be intimidated by criminal elements.
“Under our watch, anybody that kidnaps schoolchildren and goes into that bush, we will be in that bush with him. We will be in that bush with him, wherever it is. We are not scared of him,” Obi declared, underscoring the NDC’s stance that Nigeria can no longer tolerate the prevailing level of insecurity.
Obi, a former Anambra State governor, highlighted the partnership with his running mate, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, a former Minister of Defence, as a “new Nigeria that is possible.” He said securing the country would be a priority and that national unity was the first task of an NDC government, arguing that a divided country would struggle to tackle insecurity effectively.
On education and healthcare, Obi said the NDC would invest heavily in both sectors, describing education as one of the most critical areas of national development. “We will invest in education. We will invest in health,” he said.
He also described the NDC ticket as a departure from traditional governance, adding that he and Kwankwaso would work as partners to drive change. “We represent a governance that people have not seen in Nigeria before. We used to have a president and a vice president. Now we are going to have partners driving change in Nigeria,” Obi said.
Addressing corruption, Obi pledged that the NDC would intensify the fight against misuse of public funds. “People know that we are fair, far less corrupt. We will fight corruption with every energy because we want people to stop stealing public money. Public money must be used for public good. Public money must be used for the welfare of the people,” he added.
The town‑hall was organised to hear from residents and other stakeholders, with Obi encouraging open dialogue. “You are free to ask any question. No restriction. Make any comment. That is why we are here,” he said.
<small>Source: Vanguard News — read the original story there.</small>
