Exclusive Interview With Peter Obi On Sunday Politics

Good evening and welcome to the program.This is Sunday Politics Live on Channel Television.I'm live for you here in Abuja.Every election season brings with it familiar promises, new alliances, and renewed hope.But this moment feels some kind of difference.Across the country, Nigerians are asking perhaps the most important question of all.

Who has the ideas, the courage, and the leadership to We sit down with one of the men at the center of that national conversation, a former two -time governor of Anambra State, the Labour Party's presidential candidate in 2023, now the National Democratic Congress's presidential candidate for 2027, and one of Nigeria's most influential political figures, Mr. Peter Gregory Obi.From the economy and electricity to insecurity, coalition politics, party diffractions, transparency, and a criticism that have followed his political journey.Nothing is off the table in this conversation beyond the headlines and the campaign rhetoric.This is an opportunity to hear directly from the man seeking Nigeria's highest office.Can he convince Nigerians that he has a vision, the strategy, and the leadership to meet this defining moment?I sat down with Mr. Pitobi.

It's a pleasure having you on the program.

Thank you, sir.

Congratulations, by the way.You've climbed the ladder of being anelder state man because at that age, a lot of people imagine that one will have attained the status of an elder state man.How do you feel?

Well, thank God for his grace.Because whenever we wake up in the morning, we can only do one thing.Thank God for his grace.Because we're here by his grace.And whenever we travel around every day, move around, money is a gift.

At that age, you were able to reflect, did you?And in that your reflection, what would you say you want to dedicate the rest of your life to?

We're headed south.We have more and more people being impoverished, more and more people have children out of school.All things are going wrong in life, in the right direction.So you feel pained.But I'm going to increase my efforts in whatever I'm doing.My joy will be there, will create a Nigeria that is united and peaceful, and people are happy to say, we're Nigerians.

does look, it does have, there's a feeling and I'm not sure you'vesaid this, if you've said it, maybe you can clarify, that Peter Obi's wanting to change Nigeria, because that seems to be your mantra.Peter Obi wanting to fix Nigeria, and as such, that if that doesn't happen by being the president of Nigeria in 2027, you're done.Is that the idea?

That's not the idea.I've always said, I'm not desperate to be Nigerian.I'm desperate to see Nigeria work.So if it's working, I would support whatever makes it to work.I want to see a country where kids say it every day, a child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody.Where we can pull people out of poverty.

Where young ones will have opportunity to leave, get a job, be a diplomat, participating in what young people do all over the world.

So it doesn't matter if Peter is the president or not.So far, Nigeria is good.You're fine with it.

Right.

And in any capacity that you are able to help, either a minister or a president, that's OK. I don't even need to hold any votes.

You don't need to hold any votes.I'm contesting because I believe that I will fix it.I will unite the country and be able to do it to show an example of what It's possible.

There are those who do not think that you've got what it takes to unite the country.You just mentioned uniting Nigeria.On politics today, the former governor of Burundi saidincidentally, when he left office was about the time that you were entering to become governor of Anambra and he mentioned to say that.

No, I was there before I left office.

Yeah, so just, I mean, it was exiting, the turn, your turn coincided at some point.You were in office at some point when he also was in office.He said, People should not look in your direction because you will divide Nigeria, that you do not have what it takes to unite Nigeria.How do you react to such a statement?

So that's directly opposite of what I would do.I will unite Nigeria.And I know what it takes to unite Nigeria.

And what would that be?

Sherif, my man, Sherif.

Alimudu Sherif.

Alimudu Sherif said, if you look at my records, what he said is opposite.And they all said, while he was still governor, I must say, I never thought of this Boko Haram issue.His own brother was killed.So I traveled to Boronu State to condole him.Why these people don't want to go there?I went to Boronu State.

It's a record.So they did fraud in Boronu State.I went there, contributed about 15 million naira, visited the governor, visited the show of Boronu.I visited IDP camp in Boronu.I've been to most troubled part of the north.I've been to branches up to four times visiting the various affected communities when it's clean and everything.

Spend time at night if you can.helped communities that are affected to rebuild their schools for their children, went to the IDP camps, supported them, have done that in Benue, have spent Christmas, New Year in IDP camps, several youth born homes in Gombe, in Kaduna, in North of the North.When the University of Sokoto said, the University of Sokoto Agricultural Faculty said, All they need is bone marrow for their farm.I did it.And I visited schools in Sokoto, even when Tamboa was governed.I can go on and on.

I've done the same thing in the southwest.I've been to schools in Kogi, schools of nursing.I've visited hospitals all over Nigeria.There's no politician today in Nigeria who hasn't been able to travel places that have been by road from Kafanchara to Katsuna, to Ndukri, to everywhere.I've traveled all over the place by road because I want the country to be together.And I'm experiencing it.

So for instance, what he's saying is direct opposites of what I'll do.I'll show you an example by going to all these places.How many places have other people gone?Have you ever seen people in government today, even today, saying we're going to visit this place because of this and everything?I visit the governor, go and ask governors of other places whether there is a fire or anything.Whenever there is an issue, I call them and I try to visit them.

Whenever there is a fire, I call them.

Mr. Obi, don't you think that this is probably not about Peter Obi?Because any person that understands the Nigerian history, from the civil war to the post -civil war, would think or imagine that we have not totally healed And in a segment of this country that have not been fully integrated in terms of the politics of this country, whether or not an Igbo man can become president of Nigeria, do you think that we have moved away from the civil war syndrome, and we have totally healed, such that an Igbo man like Peter Obi from Anambra, a non -Nigerian man, will one day become Nigeria's president?

That is the beginning of the...That is the foundation of the healing.And that is where you start to build momentum and build energy.and why would be that that's that is the beginning so a bit of a presidency who commends the healing and the unity that is required to stabilize and build a better future that's why i said a new nigeria is possible how do we everybody will be inclusive how do we deal with the cardinal israel guthard coup because that seems to have been a major that a lot of Nigerians still don't think that they can trust an evil man to become president.You must, at any particular point in time, know that you cannot be trapped in the process of yesterday.Those who are trapped in the process of yesterday must meet the future.

There must be a time to know that we are the same.We must come together.Yes, we have a history, but we must not be trapped in it.It must not deprive us tomorrow.trap the process of yesterday to help me tomorrow.I want to drive this country to tomorrow.

I want the child of Nigeria to be able to grow up in Nigeria, go to school, live his life without thinking about his pride, without thinking about yesterday, without thinking about his religion.But as a Nigerian, I'm proud of it.And we're going to do that.That is exactly what I am offering people.I will never divide Nigeria.I will unite Nigeria.

I will show love to every part of Nigeria and make sure things are done differently because I'm going to involve everybody.

I like to look into this camera, Mr. Obi, because every Northerner that is watching through that lens tonight will wonder whether or not they can trust an Igbo man.What would you say to them tonight that You, Peter Obi, can be trusted to become Nigeria's president, and the lives, the destiny, and the politics of the northern man is saving your hands.

Chairman, I've changed the norms.I have an idea of what is happening in the north.And nobody can drive that process to take Nigeria that I've seen in the political, better than me. I will work with them, and I will ensure that that unity, that security, that prosperity they desire, I will commence it and I have shown it.I have worked closely with people in the north.I have an idea of what is happening in the north.I have an idea that it has massive problems that it needs to deal with.

I have an idea to deal with the issue of education and health properly.

If you look at it, there are those who say we have not healed totally from the 1966 up to the 70.What would you do?You saw what happened in South Africa.There are those who say we need to reconcile.We need to sit at a table, look eyeball to eyeball.the generation of those who are 30 year old today, who are 20 year old today, who do not know the pains of the 1966 and 1970.

Do you, I mean, they had a moment of reconciliation where they started, they had a committee for reconciliation.Do you think that we need a moment of sitting down as a people to reconcile and think about what happened in the civil war and move forward?

We need to have, I said before and I repeat, my presidency.will heal and unite Nigeria.

That's what you stand for.Are you going to set up a committee?

Precisely.No, no, it's not pushing to say that.The actions of the president will show what we're going to do.

Tell me about what Alemoglu also said about Northern tags and you have been accused of labeling Northerners.How do you respond to that?

Sir, that's a lie.It never happened.Sir, Arun Sherif's ABC is on the rocks.Most governments choose their ABC, who is the closest person from them, from their own.My ABC is from Kenya, and it's the most, my ABC was the most, still the most.So how can you have a Muslim as the closest person to you?

You're giving triple tax.All the commissioners that served me in eight years I was in office, were Muslims.Well, not actually were Muslims, but are from the North.So how did I give them tax?They were from the North.So before I became governor, my closest or my two closest staff from Dubai, we arrived from Kenya.

I have even military friends, we're all from the North.Sir, before I became president, I've always, to date, paid for at least a Muslim every year to go to Hajj.Every year.And I have records of that.As governor, I was paying for Christians to go for pilgrimage.I was paying for Muslims living in Anambra to go to Hajj.

They are dead.I'm sure while he was governor in Burundi State, he never paid for any Christian to go to pilgrimage.

I was paying for Muslims to go to pilgrimage.

So, how can I be giving them Hajj?And I can go on and on and show you what I've been now, tragically of my own, going to do for whole.As I speak to you, I'm supporting four Al -Majeri schools, in Kaduna, in Bauchi.And this, I'm supporting School of Nursing in Bauchi, in Kaduna, the Al -Moslem school.And I can go on and on.

Are there things that you have done in the past that you regret about the optics and how you were profiled and you thought that maybe something that you need to change that you have done wrongly?to make you look like you are an ethnic jingoist.

That's what I'm saying.This is what they do.Instead of us discussing the problem of the country, people come before you to discuss P2OB, P2OB, P2OB.That's not the issue.World Bank has just said that 79 % of Nigerians are going to face poverty.In a country of 230 million people, that's over 180 million.

That should be the issue we should be discussing.We should be talking about the issue of out -of -school children, talking about the issue of health, and all this money that I'm missing here and there that would have been invested properly.Nobody is discussing it.

When politicians come on my program and they keep mentioning your name, how does that make you feel?

It's not about what they are discussing about me.Calling me in here doesn't make me friendly.But they are abandoning issues we are supposed to discuss and discussing what I think is irrelevant.

Do you think mentioning your name shows that you are a real threat and a man to beat in this election?

Like I said, this election in 2027, should be about issues that are facing ordinary Nigerians who don't know what the world food organization has just said that 5 million Nigerians are going to face hunger.Of course, Nigerians are being kidnapped.Let's talk about Nigeria.

Let me let me ask quickly because uh I like to set to some of the major issues that I think are very significant uh and give you a chance of a right of reply uh because when he's also said that no matter what even with uh uh you still cannot win they've been able to say to keep us divided.

That's what they've always been saying to ensure that the people continue to give us this confusion that we're in today, this mess that we're in today.And that's what we want to dismantle.We want to ensure the ordinary Nigerians that a bit of a purposeful government will change this country for good and be able to allow the poor Nigerians to start living differently.

It takes me to the point that Mr Kwankunso himself made on politics today when he said that there is a pact that you will only serve out four years if you win the election.Did you have an agreement to that effect?

I've said this thing several times, Sheru.We have what you can call a written agreement.We're gentlemen.We must respect it.I don't need more than four years to show the path Nigeria will tread.It is a simple thing.

Was he written?Did you sign an agreement with the NDC?

It is NDC demanded that everybody...I preach it.So even if you want me to sign it with you, I sign it with you.It doesn't bother me.A day out of four years, not between.to start trusting our leaders.

Chairman, I was going to become a governor.I said the things I would do.And when I came in, I started doing it.I told everybody who had listened to my campaign, I said, I will not, I will manage their money efficiently.I will do good.So nobody will, schools will work, health will work.

Everything I said, I did it.That's the way, Shell, that's the way to work.Leaders, we've lost, and people have lost trust in our leaders.That's why I always say, we need to deal with the issue of character.The character of a leader must be consistent, must be consistently consistent in doing the right thing.And whatever it says, even if you don't achieve 100 % of it, Shell, people must see 100 % effort in doing that.

And I said, and I'll repeat again, I will serve for four years.Capital, if you want me, capital, four years.Not a day more.

Why do you think that you need only four years?Because there are those who, policy and governance experts, who have said, your definition of seven, four years, or your stance of seven, four years, will not get the job done.That in the first, just for a moment, sir, your first budget is not your own.The second budget, you will struggle to make it happen.Third year, you are still trying to understand the room.Fourth year, you are done.

Is this about defeating Balatonobu, or this is just a sheer policy goal that you have set up for yourself?

You can change and start driving this vehicle.Call Nigeria in the wrong direction in six months.We are headed in the wrong direction.

You don't trust him any longer.

No, no, no.

Donald Trump's letter to him is to the effect that the man has done well in terms of fighting insurgency and terrorists.What do you say to that?

I've heard people, and Donald Trump is not confirming it, saying he has done his best.But what the crisis we are facing, his best is not enough.We need to do more.On Wednesday, 50 people were abducted in Zafar.And the entire community, everybody is packing to run away.On Thursday, we shut it down.

So, we're in a crisis situation that requiressaid it several times.I will be far more committed in dealing with that issue.I will be the driver.I will visit there.I will go there.

I will deal with it.Everybody will see.They can't wait there.Not because it doesn't have the capacity.

is dealt with?

First, I will not disclose it in the open, but I'll be far more committed.We will ensure that our security architecture properly, gifted, supported, and just tell you if you want to know, supported, and we'll ensure that we work with all our partners, and we will do it with much more commitment.

So you'll get foreign help?

Whatever is possible to secure the continent, we will do.

What would you say is, from your own point of view, would you say is the biggest and the most concerning problem or challenge of insecurity in Nigeria today?

The more you put people out of poverty, the more you reduce criminality.Senor, I will tackle that.Senor, I will deal with so many other issues.You need to invest in education.Massive.I didn't know that work was so produced in education.

You'll be handsome.Everybody will see it.Everybody will feel it.We'll be very, very decisive.No charge.

You'll be moving around to ensure that at every point you are seen to be doing the job.

I'm moving around.I would have been in office.

But you know, as a president, you might not be able to do much.

No, I was in Plano, I went to the villages.

I want to replace you.You are not a president.I mean the president, the security, and the restrictions.

No, which restrictions?If you think your people are dying, you should be ready to die.You're the president, you're the number one person.

So you will go to the ground zero, whenever anything happens.

Whatever it takes to secure any Nigerian, I will do that.

You'll be more mobile.

If you don't want to do it, you go somewhere else, then you retire at peace.Go and ask.I'll show you six places in Annapolis where we had crisis.I went there.Where we have in Dominican College, go and ask me about it there.We have a situation where a number of criminals invaded the school at night.

I was there physically.I didn't ask people to go for mocha.I left.I was there by 3 a .m.physically.

I didn't say anything.And you can ask them in other places.They will tell you.

a moment, sir.Peter Obi won in Lagos in the last election.Is he capable of winning the game?Be my next question to him after this break.Johnson.Thanks so much everyone for staying with us.

NBC presidential candidate Peter Obi has been speaking with us right here on the program.Thank you so much indeed.Why does it look like you don't get a lot of the in the southeast, that you imagine that as an able man running from that region, you should get a lot of their support.Why so?A lot of the, is this a political figure?A lot of the political heavyweights from the southeast.

Well, it's on the ones you're talking about.You know, I think for somebody who won the entire zone with an average of 80 percent, I think I'm getting all the support.

So if the big ones, every way they are not supporting you, it doesn't matter.I mean, so far you have the popularity of the vote.

Well, all over Nigeria, all over Nigeria, I don't think those who are living off the Confucian will want to support me.So if you're bringing change, you have for enemy all those who live off the old order.Simple.It's all about the world.When you advocate for change, even you say we will not want change, Some people are living off this odor.Some people are benefiting from it.

Some people think they will benefit from it tomorrow.But I'm going to bring what will benefit the larger population of Nigeria.

Name three Southeasterner that you think that are backing you, that are supporting you.

Well, this is not time to name anybody.I'm saying that the charity begins at home.The Southeast is backing me, that's why I have 80 % of the votes.Naming one or the other, who do you know?Israel is calling this one important, that one is important.Every Nigerian is very important.

Every one of us is very important.We are children of God.All those things you're saying, this one is important.Either people who, by grace of God, they make money, which is not a measure of humanity.That's what I'm concerned about.

Now, give us an idea of how you think this election will pan out.You must have a different strategy, don't you?31 governments in the APC.Does that dim your hope of going into this election and winning it?Because there are those who say it was by mistake.In fact, there are those who say winning, you did not defeat Bola Tenobu in Lagos.

It was the Muslim -Muslim ticket that cost whatever happened.Do you think that was a fluke?Can you do it again?Can you beat Bola Tenobu in Lagos?Can you beat Atiku in Adamawa?Can you really, really have a dramatic turnaround in your outing this time around?

So, the 36 governors who support the president, so there won't be only 31, 36.I want to give all the governors to vote, but 36 people in the state are not with them.Because I'm saying the governor is supporting you.Are the people with the governor in supporting you?The answer is no.What I'm only asking for is free, fair, and credible election, which will go down as part of his legacy.

It will go down as part of his legacy.

You believe you won 2023 election?Sir, I did.I did.You think you were rigged out?

Yes.

You think your numbers were cooked?

Yes.

Do you think that this 2027 election will be free and fair?

That's what I'm pleading with them.That's what I want them to do.And that's what I'm begging the youth, whose life at stake, whose future at stake, to come out and join me in demanding.We are non -demanding, free, fair and credible election.And it will go down as part of his legacy.He has campaigned that he's a Democrat.

He has fought for democracy.This is time to prove it.When Yanaduwa became president, he said, the process to which I came into office is faulty, and I'm going to ensure that it does not happen again, even if I have to lose.And he did it, demonstrated it by all his actions, all the subsequent elections after him.We are free, fair, and credible.I contested second term with them, and nothing happened.

And when he left, Jonathan continued in that direction.That was why people like me, Ushomole, and others were able to win elections as for second term, because they were thriving.And eventually, when FEC won, as President, they accepted it.It can do the same thing.He is not president.This is time to prove his democratic credentials, which is speeches and everything.

party.

Your critics argue that your political journey is from any party.

Political heavyweights have done the same movement, including the president.

From AD to AC, AC to ACN, ACN to APC.You are the one now.But that was not a movement, it was a moth.No, no.The party moth.

Whatever you call it.It is your own choice.

So everybody has been moving, so it's not peculiar to me. I'm saying that was actually not a movement.That was a party that was transforming from one thing to the other.

Thank you.That was a party that was transforming.This is a person that is also transforming.So it was all transformation.And we are moving.So for me, there was not, there's no party that have

today in ideology in Nigeria.

So you don't believe in ideology?

No, no, no.I said there's none.Otherwise, the ideology of APC will be, if you're corrupt and you move to APC, you're no longer corrupt.

So most of the political parties are the same?Basically.So it doesn't matter where you are?

Basically.What we are looking for with importance, Shane, And with Nigerians you look at is the competence of the person, the capacity, the compassion, the character and commitment.Chair, wherever I find myself, I'll continue to preach that I'm going to change here.And those things you are saying will come if you have a good person in office.For example, part of my movement because the people in government have refused to have stability within the politics.I will support opposition.

I will encourage opposition.I will ensure that opposition parties function as good as party in government.

Is the government of the day doing that?

No, they are doing the opposite.

Are they killing opposition?

The president said it, that he is happy when opposition are having problems.That is his word.And all these people are doing it and because of it they are destroying, they did this shutdown.are destroying the judiciary.I'm present today.Most of the things you're seeing in our politics will not

exist.I will encourage strong opposition parties to emerge.I will ensure they remove some of the restrictions that are happening today, where even the regulatory network is interfering in party activities.Their job will be strictly to ensure that they conduct free, fair, and credible elections.The parties are free to choose who is their candidate, who they want to present, And I will ensure that once after election, I will take the law to the National Assembly.After election, you cannot change your party.

You can only change your party during the election.If you change your party, a party that won that election will replace you immediately, within 48 hours.That's what you have all over the world.So, you bring sanity in all this.

One criticism is of you repeatedly leveled against you is that instead of helping to build enduring political institutions, you move to whichever platform best advances your presidential ambition.How do you respond?How many?How many parties have I moved?Put fire in this one.You'll be on the ballot at the presidential level three times down.

On three different.I went.VP.No, I went from BDP when it is no longer, it has nothing to do with presidential, when the things were no longer being done according to the rules.I left the Philippines.One day, you see my write -up why I left the Philippines, and I went to Lebanon.

And they came there, same group of people, instigated fire on it, and want me to stay there and get bombed, and I moved to Haiti City.And they have, and I wentto Edison, since I went to Edison, and they've carried self -fire all over the place.You know?But why don't you stay to help build?What are you going to do?

You always like to go to where things are safe and easy.So if they put this building on fire now, I and you will leave to where it is safe.

Simple.That's what is happening.Why should party members in the NDC think that you will be committed to the party?That in any little crisis, you have...

If everything is conducive, if there's no problem, why would they believe?That's why I said, I, as president, will encourage the power of all parties.Let me tell you, Sheryl, what is happening in NDC now, happening in NDC, happening in Labour, would never happen if I'm president of Nigeria.Anybody that tries to do it, the judiciary, giving us some ruling, you will see what will happen.We must build institutions.And those institutions must allow fairness.

Because I want a strong opposition.I want to have ideas of the opposition.I want to invite them to a meeting when we discuss Nigeria.Sir, if I'm in office and face the crisis we are facing in the north today, I'm going to invite all opposition leaders to the north who will go there, sit down with the stakeholders and find solutions to this.

That's what you do.

Precisely.We cannot be doing things that we think that somebody is no position.We are only competing during the elections.After the elections, I am in charge.I will invite everybody.

But give me an idea what keeps you awake at night about NDC and its legal problem.This logo and identity problem.There are those who think that that might be a problem of you being able to run.

It's not a problem.It's something thatis something that I have been dealt with.It's the same thing I'm telling you.

The matter is still in court.

No, no, no.Even that I've been dealt with in the previous judgment before the registration.But unfortunately, because people are thriving in this confused system, they want to bring it back.You cannot bring it back to the back door.Let me repeat it.Even at that, what does it pertain to?

It's a very straightforward thing.It is even now being challenged by a non -political party, an organization, an association, and everything.Why do we like Confucian?I would not encourage Confucian.As governor of Anambra State, it was the most peaceful eight years of Anambra State.You know, Anambra, before I became governor, was very troublesome, was very different.

In eight years, I was able to work there.13 members of my House of Assembly were PDP.Three senators of Anambra were PDP.11 House of Rep members under me were PDP.I worked with them.Go and ask all of them.

When we did the second general election, You can go and ask anybody.But you were not able to conduct local government elections?No, because there were a lot of litigations.This is what I've been telling you.There were a lot of courts, litigations from different groups, from different things, which are things I couldn't control.But I can tell you, during my second -term election, saying, go and ask anybody, or even before that, right?

Obasanjo came, campaigned for Andy Uba.I accompanied him to the campaign.Everybody was there.my own house of assembly passport of no confidence on me i was inside that house i didn't quarrel with them and i followed them to places acm my second tenor acm people came to campaign for dr chris ingigay fashola is still there fashola called me for the governor i gave them my vehicle he came show me everybody they came and campaigned for dr chris ingigay there was no issue to campaign for JFK.In fact, when he finished the campaign, I gave him lunch.He ate in my house.

Go ask former speaker, let me remember his name, from Southwest.No, no, no, former defense.Go ask Bankole.He came to do primary for PDP in Anambra State.Ask him where he ate lunch.I was the governor.

He was from my house, he went to do...So, I brought harmony.It was peaceful.Nobody was quarreling with each other.That you can do.

That's the type of...At a national level, you will replicate that.You don't mind if there is a majority in the National Assembly that are not of your political party?

They will see it.And those people...One of the governors came there and asked my speaker, why, he said, when you work with this man...We are talking about the future of our society.

If we do, we'll benefit everybody.Let's talk about what you will do differently in your manifesto, but I'd like you to clarify this and probably lay to rest.The narrative about you never building a school during your time as governor in Anambra State, can you clarify it once and for all?Mr. Abitobi, did you build any school?If not, why so?

I built more than schools.

Which are the schools that you built?

Let me even start from tertiary institutions.I built, if you go to the University, which is a state university.There's a place called Ibarrian Campus.I cut the grass.You know what I mean?It was a bush.

I leveled the bush.If you go there, from faculty of law, faculty of agriculture, faculty, I built all of them from scratch, from scratch.So I built the fastest teaching hospital in this country, Enoka, the fastest.The Medical and Dental Council closed down our faculty as I was assuming office and said, we cannot continue College of Medicine because we have no teaching hospital.And I said, no, we have people who are already in their third year.I'm going to build it for them.

Give me two years.See, we are building from scratch.I can go on and on.When I became governor, there was no single school of nothing, midway free, laboratory scientists, lab tech that was accredited by the council that is supposed to accredit them.See, by the time I left, they were over 10.Go there and see the buildings.

See, when I came in, look at the land where we were in school, where we were in education.not just build schools.Today, I don't know how many changes today.I bought the highest number of desktop computer ever bought by government in South Africa in South Africa.I put internet in all our secondary schools.I can go on and on.

No other state has been able to buy vehicles for all their secondary schools.I'm talking about over 500 schools.I can go on and on.

You always talk about the performance of an ambassador in education.

In health.

In every other thing.And your critics have said that you, that they say you champion miracle centers during your time.Hence, the results showed high pass rate.When your predecessor sanitized the place, the poor results showed.

I'm saying, you know, when I talk about things, I talk about verification.Can they show you the miracle centers?Sheku, the schools that drove our results are schools like Dennis Memorial Grammar School in Onitsha, High Zekin College Onitsha, KRC Onitsha.I can call the schools.These are first class institutions that are doing well.I'll just give you an example of three.

Sheku, I'm inviting you.I'm in Onitsha tomorrow.Come and show you all the schools.When people, I don't want to compare.Sheku, I don't call names.And I don't compare one government to another.

What I did is what I'm telling you.What I did, I just showed you now, every school had a lab for me. I visited the schools.I did everything.Every senior professor had my phone number.It was working.I was going there.

I was encouraging them.Do you still do them by name?

Do they still call you up to now?

Of course.Most of them still send me texts.Yes.

Up to now?

Yes.

Do you know them by name?

By name, but I know them, senior professor of this school, senior professor of that school.That's what I knew, too.And then we were working together.I was visiting their schools.Go and ask anybody who was in secondary school when I was there.Did I visit their school?

To encourage them.Let me ask you, do you have a manifesto yet for the 2027 election?

Of course, I had the one I used to last time.Are you?Which is now being looked into and updated in line with the realities of today.

What would be your three most significant priorities that you would like to accomplish?What would that be?

One is to unite the country.The country is not united today.It's divided among ethnic and religious lines.You must remove that and show people that we are one.Secure the country.Country must be secure.

Three, you must return the country where there's rule of law and order.People must be sure to know that they are citizens of this country.If there's anything, they go to our courts and they will be obtained justice.And then you now commence the development part.Invest massively in education.Of course, there are people like myself who believe in it, and we will throw everything to it.

And education in health, and then put people out of poverty.And that education must not be education for the sake of it.It must be education that we have to train people in skill.So basic education, and then skilled acquisition, which we will support to be entrepreneurial, because we want small businesses to support.Nobody today says we can start a small business.You can't start at the 5%.

The government doesn't care about the poor people.We will care about them.

All right, give me another moment.We're going to break, but when we come back, Mr. Peter Obi always talks about from consumption to production.Well, what exactly does that mean?In a country where a lot of Nigerians are unemployed, but the Bolotunogu government will say they have dealt with the macroeconomic side of the economy of this country.Welcome back, everyone.Let's get back to the conversation.

This time around, let's kick off with your popular slogan, from consumption to production.That is what you said.And I'd like to find out from you.That phrase is associated with you for moving from consumption to production.But there are those who have argued that it has become more or less like a slogan rather than a detailed economic program.What exactly does that transition look like in practical terms?

So let me start with food security.This country can produce enough of what we can eat.And we can actually make more money from agriculture than we make from oil.Because as it is today, we have vast uncultivated land.So we're talking about, listen, the most consumed food in Nigeria, I believe, is rice.From my own studies, it's rice.

This country produces about, it's less than 10 million tons of unmilled rice, which will even be worse now that we have used cheap importation to kill our farmers.So we can do more.And I just give you a comparable thing with large populations of far more land space that are doing more.Bangladesh.Bangladesh today produces about 50 to 60 million tons of unmilled rice.In fact, there are now about 3 or 4 numbers globally.

The size of Bangladesh is about 148 ,000 square kilometers.of land.And they have about 170 million people.So you can see the density.The size of Bangladesh, Shewu, is the size of our two biggest states.Niger State at 76 .3, Poronu at 70 .8.

It's actually 147.So these two is almost the size of Bangladesh.In terms of population, they are about 10 % of the population of Bangladesh.You could see the size of this place and see what I mean by production.You can't get that working in the first world, because people don't want us to be compared with the first world.Otherwise, a tiny place like the Netherlands emits every year agricultural produce.

Of over 120 million euros, about 120 billion euros, which is about 130 billion dollars, that is three times what we earn from oil.And there are just 33 ,000 square kilometers, where you minus the 41 with water, you minus water, there are 33.The United States is two and a half the size of the Netherlands.And thisis not just these two states.If you go, Sambisa Forest is giving us problem.

Everybody is talking about Sambisa Forest and everything.The Sambisa area is 60 ,000 square kilometers.That's two times twice the size of Belgium.Belgium is just 30 ,000 square kilometers.And they feed themselves and they export goods.If you, to tell you, Morocco today is exporting agricultural products to Europe.

If you go to Casablanca, the port of Tangier, on both sides, it's farmland.We can turn this, I can go on and on.Look at Caraba, 54 point something thousand.With Manbila, where you can do tea, coffee, Look at Ethiopia now.It's making over a billion dollars from export of coffee.Kenya is making almost half a billion from export of flour.

If you go and see during vacation time, planes going to...And this is what we can cultivate.By doing this, you get youths employed.I've been to flour fields in Kenya.You see young people being paid equivalent of $100 a month.They're happy, they're employed.

You go to coffee fields, everywhere you see young people, they are being employed, they're being paid basic money.I've been to prisons here, I've seen young people and I ask them, why did you do it?They say they have no job.How much were you paid in the last operation?They were just paid 50 ,000, 100 ,000, which has not been justified by so many comments you've heard.Hakeem Obama, who said that when they're playing...

kidnapped, that the money they always give to the small boys are taken away by one big man.So they pay those small boys.So if you replace that by giving them job, you will see it.So if you go to Kanu today, you will find that there's a problem in Kanu.Because all the factories that used to be in Bombay, Shardan 1, Shardan 2, have all collapsed.

These are things you need to...What would you do specifically?You sound like you want to turn Nigeria into a food processing and production...

I'm just stating from agriculture.From there you enter into manufacturing.The only way you can pull Nigeria out of poverty, or even increase the so -called GDP you want to proceed to trillion, is through production, not through consumption.And that production is agriculture, which will give you the food you need, Give you some basic raw material for your factories.Give you a spot.And that you need is a win -win.

Would you be shutting down importation of food?With that, you'll employ labor.If you can produce it, I'll just show you a country.Back there, they used to import rice.They've not done it.Even Vietnam.

There used to be importers of rice.They've not done it around.How long will it take you?

And give us an idea.How many food...Sorry, document.How many food produce... would you focus on and how long do you think it can take you to revolutionize food production?

Let me tell you one thing.That's why people always say you can't do it before.Let's start.Let people see it.Like they said, nobody achieves it overnight.That's why they say Rome was not built overnight.

But they saw Rome do foundation.They saw it goingup.So people can have hope.What drives a process is hope.It is hope that gives people faith.

Like Renewed Hope agenda?

No, no, no, no.Hopelessness.

That's not the kind of hope you're talking about.

No, that one is Renewed Hopelessness.It's not working.

So the kind of hope you will bring is a real hope.

People will see it.They will feel it.And I'll be speaking about it.Not audio hope.No, no, no, no.Real hope.

Tangible hope.It's not even audio now, because the man we voted is not talking.That is why I keep saying, we didn't vote all these characters that are talking.It's interesting that a leader must be speaking to the people.The person we voted in this country is Bola Ametimbu.He's no longer talking.

He's not going into Asoro and turn the place into a bunker.We want him to come out of that bunker and speak to the people.Because with all these characters talking to us, we didn't vote them in.I will be speaking to the people.I'll be telling them, I said I would do this.This is what it is.

That's why I said it will be commitment.Today, if you say that things are going wrong, or they have fake agents, they have to say, people are talking.where is the man who gave our mandate?He should be the one talking to you, talking to everybody.That's the person we want to hear.

That the people talking are standing on the mandate.

No, they cannot.Nah, because we didn't give them the mandate.We didn't.He should come out of the bunker he's put himself to talk to us.

Mr. Obi, give us an idea, because I imagine that federal government or government are not the best producer of...

I didn't say federal government will produceprivate sector.learning what they are doing.Today, 90 % of the job in Indonesia is from small businesses.Those small businesses are supported by government, the administration of small businesses.They are supported by government and ensuring that they get loan at less than 10%.

That's only about 5%.How can you do small business no government support, no training, nothing at 35%.It's impossible.We need to train our young ones in scale, support them financially to start a business and everything.Even in China, I will look at every day, 60 % of the job overall in China is for small businesses.In fact, in urban area, so if you look at it, China have about 800 million people employed.

So 480 million small businesses in urban areas is actually up to 80%.That's what we're talking about.So when we talk about production, you support small businesses, support big manufacturing firms and everything, create the environment, find out, even visit the factories, see what is happening, and then listen tothem.That's what it is.

Look, look, you you talk about Ivory Coast and one thing that comes to mind.Ivory Coast.No, no, I'm no, I'm I'm just giving an example.Okay.If you talk about Ivory Coast, one thing that you, one thing that comes to mind is cocoa.Uh you think about Ethiopia, you talk about and you mentioned several other countries and you will be able to identify them with a produce, with a product that that country is producing.

In your own dream of Nigeria, what would you want Nigeria to be identified as an exportable product to the rest of the world?

With what you're eating first, so that you can reduce Can you give us five things or even three things that you think that Nigeria, under Peter Obi, if you become president, what are the three things that...I gave you one example, I don't even need three.

Rice.You think we can produce rice, consume rice, and export rice to the rest of the world?

Why not?

How would you achieve it?How many towns do you, how many farmlands, how many companies do you think you can get to work?What is the measurable indices for you to make this happen?

If a tiny country like Bangladesh can do 50 million tons, almost 10 times what we can do, that means we can produce more by supporting our farmers.There's so many other products we have the advantage of dealing with.What we need to show is to secure the country ensure that our farmers go back, you see, because, well, the agriculture is huge.employment area.Then you go to manufacturing.To build your economy, you must have a strong manufacturing base and you must export your way.

That's what other nations have done.As a businessman, if you want to start a business right now, I imagine that you do your analysis, you do your survey, you do your business plan, you will prospect that business.Do you have a measurable plan of how you want to change things around?

In terms of...Of all those who want to serve and those who are serving, nobody has my background.I built a business from scratch to work this.

Do you have a plan for Nigeria in terms of food production?

So I know what to do to support small businesses.What would you do?I know what to do to support small businesses.I know what they need.I've operated in the corporate world, so I know what is happening within the corporate world, including the banking and manufacturing, because I've been involved in manufacturing companies.I know what they're going through.

I've been involved in governance.So nobody has had my vast experience.So I know, for example, that the biggest cost of manufacturing today is interest rate, power, place.These are things I'm going to work on.So I know the things that is keeping - Would you drive interest rate down?

But these are determined by a set standard within the market.So I said I've operated there.So you know how to work.it.I know what to do.He then brings me to this question.

You have criticized aspects of the current economic reforms.But many economists have argued that subsidy remover and exchange rate reforms were unavoidable.Mr. Obi, how different would you have implemented it?

And I campaigned that I would remove it.And I've said it every day, that within the subsidy, there was a criminal or corruption side of it, which you need to eliminate in order to know the actual subsidy for placement with investment in other areas.By the way, we're separating that subsidy from what is happening now.They just called it different.They're now talking about seven trillion on that recovery, or pro -recovery, or whatever name they call it.So, they're actually still supporting where it's at.

I will be able to be honest to the people.If our fuel is going to increase from, say, 200 or 300 to 1 ,000, I, who is elected, not via spokesperson, not via any other channel, will come out and say, this is why it will happen.That is happening.That we are still going to pay this amount to make it 1 ,000.We are going to put it in this place.People will hear it from me. I didn't say, I'm going to engage anybody.

No engagement of spokesperson, no minister, nobody.It's me that they gave their vote.It's me that will speak about it.Not hear anybody.and it will be seen everybody will know that this we are told change we will stop borrowing that we cannot borrow in to for this service in critical area of development can you can you ask me borrowing borrowing as a financial person is it a bad thing say wait today we are not paying subsidy say we've borrowed more than when we are paying subsidy So we have generated more revenue.Yes, nobody is seeing any improvement.

What was done that when this government started, number of people that are poor were 87 million.Now we have been told that we have been threatened by 79%, which is 181 million, which they've doubled the poverty rate.So where is the savings?Where is all this?We were brutal.in imposing hardship on people, yet they have no gain for their suffering.

We need explanation.Our contractors today, we have operating three -year budgets, 2024, 2025, 2026.The past two -year budgets, the capital releases are not up to 10%.And in 2026, nobody knows what's happening.The only thing here every day is one fake ministry, one fake agency, one fake this, what is happening here?

Give me an idea, Mr. Filobi.This government seems to have done a few things right on the microeconomic side, but the microeconomic, a few of the indicators are not in the positive.Do you acknowledge that they've done foreign exchange There's an improvement in those areas.

You look at - What is the impact on the average Nigerian?

Do you think they have done well?

Sherry, this thing can benefit portfolio investors.It can invest in, benefit those who are portfolio investors.Does it have FDI?That's what I'm saying.It can benefit them because you have high interest rates.You have a reserve that they can take back their money so they can come and invest in it.

But what we are looking for, Sherry, We want long -term investment that will be a win -win for the poor people, for the foreigners.And this can only happen when you choose, when you do the right things, starting from the fundamental.So you don't do things that are benefiting the 1%, even less than 1 % Nigerians who already had enough.So what you did is that you're creating mass poverty,while enriching the tiny things and outsiders, which I'm not sure against.

If you win election today, in the 2027, Mr. Obi, you will be inheriting this economy.

Yes.

Have you given a deeper thought on what you will do, because Nigerians will not want to listen to any excuse.You know the state of things.What would you do on your very first day in office that would dramatically change things?

I've said it before.You are not hired to give people excuses, because I have an idea of what it is. I'm not going to give them excuses.They will just sit there and start changing.When they were removing first subsidy, when they were stabilizing the net, floating the Naira, which would bring in a lot of money and everything, where they were increasing taxes, where they were engaging in one thing that they did not do, which is what you need to do immediately and drastically, is to reduce the brutality in which you are dealing with this, to deal with corruption.

You think this government is corrupt?

Oh no, look at it now, fake ministry, first fake.Fake agency, fake this.Every day, Sheryl.Is the government corrupt or the leadership of this country?No, no, no.I don't know what is happening, Sheryl.

We are a mess.We are a mess.Nobody is explaining to us.Let me give you an example.They said that in 2025, Sheryl, 2025, that we're granted 34 trillion custom waivers.You saw it.

Sheryl, can you budget 54?0 .9 trillion, call it 55 trillion, and then there's 54 trillion U .S.dollars, even therevenue custom made was just 7 .7 trillion U .S. dollars.S.

dollars.So we granted almost over four times their revenue as U .S.dollars.And we granted nearly over 70 percent of our budget as U .S.

dollars.The money we borrowed.So there are things that I explained.What is the impact of this U .S.dollar?

on the life of an average Nigerian.

Would Fito be the man who would tax the poor to help the, I mean, tax the rich to help the poor?Basically.

That's what you would do.

I would do that.And I will explain it to them.You would tax the rich for the poor to be comfortable.

It's not for the poor to be comfortable.To make society work for everybody.What do you do?If I am going to grant waiver when customs is making, say, 8 trillion, And I'm going to grant waiver of 10 trillion, which is more than 100 % what they're doing.I will explain it to the public, not talking 400 % without the explanation, which included the importation of food.I killed my farmers.

These are resources to support my farmers and make them more productive.I'll show you what I said.We're African.It's almost over 70%, almost 80 % of our GDP.Which country can give more?8 .8 % of its GDP as weather without expression.

Shehu came and said, we have unexplained 8 .8 trillion that he was asked on budget.Again, nobody's explaining it.You have somebody coming to speak and saying, when will Nigerians start hearing the voice of the man they voted for?That's why I said it is time for him to say, I have tried my best.Let me go home and rest.Have peace.

Let me ask you quickly before we go on another break.The electricity challenge is a big deal.and without it, the manufacturing sector, even our society will not run well.Every presidential candidate over the last years have promised stable electricity, yet decades later, Nigeria still struggles.I'd like you to give Nigerians tonight a realistic timeline, not a political promise.How would you ensure that Nigeria will experience reliable, stable, 24 -hour electricity under a BTOB presidency?

And how long will it take you to achieve this?

We will not give them, I will not sell them.I'm going to give them reliable, stable, 24 -hour electricity within four years.It's impossible.Because, Sharon, if you want to build a power plant, it will take you about four years to build a power plant.If you want to build and improve our transmission line and improve it, it will take you a number of years.Same thing goes with all your solutions.

But remember, I said, within four years, we'll be able to generate more than 10 ,000, which we are doing today.We're generating more than 10 ,000, but we are not able to transmit that.I said, we'll be able to generate more than 10 ,000 transmit and distribute that.And we're going to do it by a varietyof means.We're going to do it through a variety of means.

They're doing it everywhere, all over the world.Embedded power.

You went to Egypt?Yes.The lessons that you taught, what specific thing would you do?Let's assume in the first...

Let me give you an example of what Geometric is doing in Aba.You need to replicate that.in different areas.In Cannes, for example, where you have a problem with poor generation to drive the industries in Bombay, Chardin 1, Chardin 2.You need that.Imagine doing that in about four or five locations.

There are two things we need to do.Today, we are owning poor generating companies, trillions of miles.Every day you read, oh, government have government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.

Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.

Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.

Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.

Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.Government is very important to pay them.

give me a moment.We'll go onbut when we come back, you know, mister is the man who says that he wants to cut costs of governance.For example, will he be flying those planes in the presidential fleet?If not, what will he be doing?How else will he cut costs of governance?

That's going to be our focus.

What are terrorists?There are so many sections of Nigeria.And I sit down, discuss and talk with them.And when I exhaust reason, I will take action.Once he has said, we want to deal with militants.start to recruit, you know, informing them and everything.

The same thing, we will look at everything.We finish, we will deal with it.It's as simple as I said.I've never said, oh, eh, Nani Kanuze said, Nani Kanuze.Go and look at his comments.I was one of those god names.

But that's not my issue.

But you say you have never condemned the activities of IPOP.The killings, the attacks, and all of that.Shame on you.Go and check my record.I said...Are you able to condemn them right now?

Those killings and those activities?

Remember what I said?Whoever killed anybody is a criminal.

Including Ipub?

Once you get the proof that they did it, then what is wrong?Simple.This is me.

Do you think Inam Dikandu's activities or some of his actions were wrong?

Of course, yes.

Yes.When you, if you become president, would you do something different about in Amdikanu's case?You said the man did not do anything.

Everybody.

He cannot be criminalized because.No, no, no.He just spoke.

No, no, no.Remember what I said?They're holding a fire now.They said he spoke.I wouldn't do it.I would go, I would, I would take them to court.

I wouldn't even go outside to arrest anybody.If they're in another country, like they've done with the other man, I would complain to that country and say, this is poor.By destabilizing what we're doing, we follow the law.If you call grounds and bail, we'll obey.

It doesn't matter whether they're Igbo or Yoruba.

It doesn't matter where they're coming from, whether it's the war or anything, I will give them due process of the law.

Would you forgive Inam Dekano?

The law.If I take them to the court.Would you grant him clemency?If I follow the process and that is possible, I will do that.Not just him.The law has to apply even to me.

We must do things according to the rule of law.We cannot stay in a country where God grants you bail.We say no.God does this.We say no.If God grants you, Sherry, if God grants you bail, like they've done in every fight, you go home.

If I feel you are, we cannot manage it.You can go to your house and we secure your house.There's other people who can hold you on house arrest.But we cannot put you in jail.detention where you don't have access to your family.

Are you able to forgive Kenneth Okonkwo?

I don't have any issue with Kenneth Okonkwo.

You've taken him to court.Me?You sued him.

No!Sheryl, I sued Kenneth not because of what he's saying.He said the things he would say that can, that would be worse.So I'm only suing him to say those things.Sheryl, we cannot continue to preach what we are not.I want those who have Things that PtoB have done wrong that will make him not to be president of Nigeria, to bring it out.

You know I'm a Christian, I'm a Catholic.When we go to marriage, we announce in the church, if you know what will not make this man to be a good husband, come and tell this.So that's Kenneth Okonkwo saying he has information that he will release to the public.and that will be the end of P2P.And that's... so you might even have some.So I want you to bring it out.

Because otherwise, we force people in.When they go in, we start saying, oh, they did this, they did this.This is time for everybody to come and say what P2P did that is wrong.And if it's proven, I go home.

The claims that you kept money in safe havens as released in the Panama Papers, what are you able to say?

Let me remember what it's called.There's nothing.It's a clear and well -articulated family savings claim.It's documented.So the money is yours?It's documented.

And it's still there now in the tax haven.

There's nothing called tax haven.I opened an account while I lived in the UK and started saving for what I call family estate.If you go there every year, maybe, maybe this year because I don't have an income, I save a portion of my income.Then when I was governor, I saved for a number of things.So as an individual, I'm saving for my family, not the culture we should build, but I should be encouraged.You see, we go into things that are not this simple.

If some people have said, oh, maybe it shows you're corrupt, or maybe, what care if they're Congo, any other person would say, no thief sees what they can steal and leave it.That's why even when you go to church, you say, my name isNot because those people didn't come to church, but because they have the temptation that if they see what they can steal, they steal it.But it's a code of conduct issue, Mr. Obi.

No, it is not an issue.What was released in the Pandora paper, that you did not disclose it?No, no, no.It was clearly declared.

When you were governor?Offshore assets?everybody wants to investigate the PTOB, say we are left with 150 million dollars, and any other person will finish here, come and say where he left, nobody ask him to save him dollars.

But why is it that your successors never appreciated it?

No, no, no, do we appreciate the honest in Nigeria?Do we appreciate what is good in Nigeria?It's a country that has become criminalized that even those who are honest are not the ones who are suffering.So if you come and show it to you, the money I saved in Anambra State, that dollar, if it was there today, it would have been almost getting to a billion dollars.

But you and your family benefited also in some of the investments you made.For example, in the brewery.How?Didn't you?You said it yourself that some of the shares were bought in the name of the family business.

We know that we are, it's like going to say I bought share in a bank and I ask the company, and I ask the place that I am to put money there.

Are you a director in that same company?How do I put money?I save money in Fidelity.You don't think that is a conflict of interest?

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.I save the money in Fidelity.I have three banks that save the money, which included Fidelity.I have Amazon shareholder in Fidelity.So, what is conflict of interest in it?So, you should let other people save even in their house and give it back to us.

You see, that's what I'm telling you.You see, we are journalists.You should encourage what is right.I saved money.Other people took it.Other people took it.

They never saved their life.Mr. Obi is not corrupt.

Mr. Obi, you would say you are not corrupt.

Tell me. I said, go and show me where their money is missing.people.There are other people.Show me another person who said, if you can show me somebody who said fifteen million dollars.10 % of what I said.So you were a rich man before you came into power.

Of course.Yes.Till today.

Till today by us and globally.Not just in Nigeria.Let me take you to one of the things that you preach very well.That look, people who are in public office, you talk about eh office of the first government.Uh so you are not going to have a office of the first lady.You're talking about a course of governance when you were a governor.

You do not believe in having a liaison office in Abuja or Lagos.You stop it almost a billionaire worth of investment.You said that is not going to happen.The presidential fleet, you you you don't you don't seem to like that idea.If you become president, what would you do?

There's too much waste in our governance.There's too much corruption.There's too much.That's why people are fighting to go to office.Show any country where people in office are richer than their businesses.There's something wrong.

Anywhere where businessmen in the country sees people in government that's more important than them, that place is not working.Show you how drastically cut the cost of governance.How would you do that?What would you do specifically?Our present board plan for $300 billion, over $300 billion.That year, the most important measure of development sharing, call it three of them, education and health.

And when you come to health, the most important sector of health is primary health care.The cost of the plan you bought was far more than the amount budgeted for primary health care that year.In fact, the cost of that plan, if you go to 2024 budget, The capital vote for the University of Ebado, which is our premier teaching hospital, the University of Nigeria, Amadu Bello University, the University of Lagos, the University of Lawrence, the University of George, I want to take it to one at least.Six of them put together is not up to 15 billion.So use 20 % of that to buy play, which is very useful.So I will not do that.

If you become president, what would you do with that feeling?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?

What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?

What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?

What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?

What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?What would you do with that?

What would you do with that?What would you do with that?I deal with issues that will protect our people, will serve our people properly.I will cut costs of governance.I've done it in the States.In my first four years of being governor, I used four OCs.

From beginning to the end, go and verify four OCs.Not bulletproof.No, no.Four OCs.Four OCs, you're talking about four OCs, you're talking about bulletproofs.Which way will you buy?

Have you ever seen four OCs bulletproof before?

So if you become president, you will not ride in a bulletproof car?No, no, no, no, no, no.

I will use this, but I'm saying, I'm giving you an example where I didn't before.You just said it, that I shot down her son -in -law in Abuja because it would cost lots of money.We didn't have money to keep it.I did not see the reason why the governor of Alhambra said, you have a house in Albuquerque.We used to live in the American system.Go and show me any state in America where the governor has a lodge in Washington.

We need to start being realistic.It costs more, this place, to keep our government official than it costs overseas.

So the office of the first lady, you will cancel it?

There's nothing called office of first lady anywhere in the world.Not even in America.He's in name.No, no, no.I said not even in America.He's in name.

He's just something you call First Lady.He doesn't even have...What is the office of First Lady?Did we vote husband and wife?That's what I'm saying.You must dismantle all this nonsense.

The person seeking vote today is Peter Obi, not Mr. and Mrs. Obi.And that's why I said I'll be communicating.My wife will remember my wife is first lady, and we are close.I love her.But not to come and have another separate office, and then maybe moving around, creating additional confusion.It's me. that is being voted in.

So I can deal with things, I promise the people.

The presidential fleet, we have about 10.There are some that are unserviceable and there are those, and the reasons why they said they bought a new one.What would you do in that?Would you be flying economy or what?I mean, would you be flying private?

It doesn't matter.It depends on where I'm going.We can have, for example, say there's so many registered airline of the Nigerian name, that is Nigerian, who are going to places.You can encourage them.Mandela came to UK with South African airways.That at least I know, famous Mandela.

And there's so many people, so many visitors that are coming here.It doesn't cost you.So you will not use this brand new presidential aid?Let me not say where we will cut costs.But I can tell you who will cut costs.We've done it before.

In Anambra State, everybody saw it, and it worked.And we can do it because we need money for education.

One of the recurring criticisms from your critics, especially those who are economists, policy analysts, and fact -checkers, is that your vision is not about your vision, it's about the accuracy of some of the statistics and international competition.that you cite.They argue that your figures occasionally lack context or rely on different reporting periods.They create misleading impressions.How do you respond to those who say your strongest political asset, your command of numbers, is also one of your biggest vulnerabilities?They talk about how you cite China and some of those figures, that you mix those figures, how you cite figures of Malaysia and Singapore.

You say PTOB is wrong.I'm not saying I'm perfect.I'm a learner.A leader must be a listener and a learner.So if they tell you, they didn't give you the particular figure or the particular, and then we'll compare it.Yesterday, somebody came to me and said, oh, our result is, we're doing so well.

I said, well, I can, I have, when I met the CBN government, I thanked him for his monetary policy.I told him, I said, you're headed in the right direction.But the physical side is still reckless.And as long as they remain reckless, whatever you're achieving is being undermined.We'll continue doing what we're doing.And I thanked him.

And I believe he said it from my heart.But I told the person, but it's not something we should celebrate as if we have won the world.That in 1975, seeing this country74, 75, had more reserve than China, than South Korea.Today, more than, if I, you can say we are double than Buddhist country.In 1974, we lent money to IMF, World Bank, Nigeria, as a country, 74.

In 75, now we have more money, more reserve than these two countries.Today, China have a reserve of over 3 .5 trillion.South Korea has a reserve of over 400 billion dollars.So we shouldn't say 50 is good.We're happy.But don't throw it as if we've won the World Cup.

No, no, no, no.We've not.We're just trying to come out of probably our own mess.I compared again.I said, if you look at these two countries' GDP, GDP per capita, then we're better off.Today, they are 10 times better than we are.

Shegu, if you see those figures, Google them, come and check, tell me if I'm wrong, please.I'll study and learn.But you say, oh, his figures are wrong.What he said is nonsense.Oh, this is just like they said.Oh, but what is he talking about?

Saving money.He did not save money.His predecessor said he didn't see the money saved.I didn't save money in foreign banks, Shegu.I saved it in three banks in Nigeria.Assets Bank, which you have friends there.

I have $12 billion and $50 million.Fidelity.Bank, which we have friends there, I said I have 12 billion Naira, $50 million.Diamond Bank, which Alex Oti was MD then, $50 million.That's how things can go down the street.I said, hey, this man who is telling a lie said he said this, but instead of going to do it, somebody goes to TV and say, hey, he's like he said that somebody said it, I would.

Divide Nigeria.The person who is saying he has not visited anywhere in Nigeria.Children everywhere!Just this weekend, this weekend, I have gone to, from Anambra, to Ebony, to Cross River, to Imo, to Wari, Delta.The people are just in their house, comfort of their house, one place, eating some short meal, and go to TV in the evening, and they're calling your name.And that's why the country is not working.

Because rather than celebrate and encourage merit, goodness, competence, compassion, capacity, they celebrate the opposite.

Let's quickly wrap up because of our time.What would you say is your biggest lesson in 2023?

Well, there's no lesson because we don't learn anything from what is wrong, except to say this does not happen again.

But, I mean, there are those who say that to defeat Polatinobu, you need to coalesce, to work with others.Are you able to work with Anateko, Abubakar, or the rest?

So, I'm ready to work with everybody, but my biggest group I need to work with is the youth of Nigeria, the young people of Nigeria.And I'm urging them to know it is about their future.We cannot continue this way.We must build a future for them.And that future will only come by electing a competent leadership with capacity, compassion character and commitment to do the right thing.And stay with it.

The reality is that presidency comes with tough choices and tough decisions.Every administration eventually disappoints part of the electorate.How would you communicate or explain painful reforms?

Painful reforms must come this way.You ask the people to fast.You fast with them.You can't ask them to fast when you're fixed.So if you ask people to sacrifice, you should be the leader of the sacrifice.You can't tell people, I've removed subsidy.

You go and buy a jet for 300 billion for yourself.I've removed subsidy, you go and buy yacht.And be furnishing your palaces.That's not how you do.

You will not do that.

Never.As I said, I vote for the judges, the pansecs, everybody forces.I was using it with them.for four years.When you tell people to fast, you fast with them.If you tell them to sacrifice, you sacrifice with them.

You must be the leader of what you're preaching.I said when I come in, I will fight corruption brutally and I will show it, I will live it.

Kwankwensu for you is a big asset that you think can help you win the election.Finally, the Obedient Movement changed Nigerian politics.But some critics have argued sections of the movement have sometimes been intolerant of opposing views.Have you done enough to discourage political hostility among your supporters?

They criticize me.There are people who have been subjected to a situation where they are annoyed with the entire system.And you have to bear with them.They are frustrated.They've seen the war.Listen, I go around.

What is happening here is that our leaders don't go around.How many times have you seen funerals?Is it going to Platoon, where there's bombs?How many times have you seen them going to IDP camps?How many times have you seen them going to where there's flooding?I was in Taraba in Ibi, where there's flooding.

How many times have you seen them going to wet in Zanfara and everything?Your personal function is in NNPC.Nobody goes to where there's a problem.I go where there's a problem.When there was pollution in Ibadan, we asked Matinda, I was there.This one, they kidnapped him.

Mr. Obi, what would you want to be remembered for if you win the presidency?

for turning Nigeria around and putting it on the right path that will lead to its growth.

If you lose this election, what would you do?Would that be the end of the road?

Well, who says what will happen?

Would that be your last time of running for presidency?

Well, it depends on who wins.It depends on who wins, but I can tell you, I'm coming to the end of it because I believe that the younger ones should be allowed.In 2031, you'll be 69.68, actually.time it ends, by 68, 69.So, by the time it ends, it's about 68, 69.

So, if you add that to another 80 years, I will be 78, 79.I don't think I'll have the energy I have today, because that capacity is very, very, very important.

It's critical.All right.Mr. Apitobi, imagine it's your inauguration day.What would the first day look like for you?

Well, it would look like the first day I started in Alhambra City.

And what would that look like?

a day of reflection and thinking.

What would be the first action you would take?

No, the only action I've told you from day one, cutting the cost.Governance.

Mr. Peter Gregory Obi, presidential candidate of the NDC, it's a pleasure having you talk to us on China's television.Thank you.Thank you so much, sir.

Thank you, sir.I appreciate it.

That's our conversation with the NDC presidential election candidate, Mr. Peter Obi.As always, the choice of who leads Nigeria belongs to the people, and that choice is best made when citizens are the facts, hear directly from those seeking their mandate and weigh their ideas against the challenges facing the nation.We hope tonight's conversation has helped you do just that.The debate about Nigeria's future is far from over, and here on Sunday Politics, we'll continue to ask the difficult questions, tell the promises, and hold those who seek public office to account.And thanks everyone for watching.I'm Sean Okimole.

I'll see you tomorrow at 7 p .m.Good night and God bless Nigeria.