2023 Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has boldly stated that tackling corruption in Nigeria isn’t as complicated as many believe.
Speaking during a lively session with students at Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) in Bauchi, Obi stressed that personal integrity is the foundation of reducing corruption.
“Fighting corruption is not as difficult as people make it look,” Obi said.
He added, “If you, your wife, and your children are not stealing, you’ve already cut corruption by 60 percent.”
Obi also pointed to his own track record, challenging critics to find any trace of corruption during his time as a bank chairman and governor of Anambra State.
“I chaired a bank when many directors were busy taking loans from their own banks,” he noted.
“Go check any bank I served as director or chairman—did they ever give me a loan? No.”
On his governance, he declared,
“I was governor for eight years. I dare anyone to show me where even one kobo of Anambra State’s money that didn’t belong to me was linked to me.”
One-Term Presidency Promise
Looking ahead to 2027, Obi promised that if elected president, he would serve only one term—no extensions.
“If I become Nigeria’s president, I’ll serve four years, maybe less, but never longer,” he said.
Addressing skeptics who doubt what can be achieved in four years, Obi insisted,
“There’s a lot you can do in four years. You can introduce civility and laws that set Nigeria on the path to good governance.”
For Obi, real change starts with honesty, strong leadership, and the right legal framework—and that can happen within a single term.
