The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 general election, Peter Obi, said he never promised Nigerians that he would transform the country overnight if elected president.
Obi made the statement while discussing the numerous challenges confronting Nigeria and how his administration would approach them.
According to him, the problems facing the country are complex and cannot be resolved within a short period. He said his priority would be to begin addressing the challenges and gradually put the country on a different path.
“I didn’t promise that if I come in, everything will change overnight. I am not one of those who promise such things,” Obi said.
He explained that issues ranging from government revenue and access to water to insecurity, unemployment and other economic challenges would require systematic solutions.
The former Anambra State governor said the government would have to start somewhere rather than attempt to solve every problem simultaneously.
“We will start somewhere. We have to start gradually,” he said, according to an interview reported by ThisNigeria.
Obi, however, said some actions could be taken immediately, particularly in the area of public funds and government accountability.
He said his administration would focus on preventing the misuse of government resources and ensuring that public money was properly managed.
The Labour Party candidate also rejected the idea that the problems of Nigeria could be solved within the first 100 days of a new administration.
“Nigerian problems cannot be solved in 100 days but I am going to give people hope,” he said.
During his campaign, Obi repeatedly presented his proposed approach as one that would focus on moving Nigeria from consumption to production.
He spoke about improving areas such as education, security, power, agriculture and employment, while arguing that the country needed to create an environment where businesses and productive activities could grow.
On the country’s flooding crisis, for example, Obi said an administration led by him would begin tackling the problem but acknowledged that it would not happen overnight.
“We are not going to do it overnight but we will start solving it,” he said during a 2022 campaign event.
Obi also acknowledged that Nigeria’s challenges were structural.
In a CNN interview during the 2023 presidential campaign, he said a competent government could begin dealing with the country’s problems, but that the challenges would not disappear overnight. He said there should instead be a clear and measurable effort to address them.
The former governor’s comments came amid growing expectations among his supporters that a change in leadership could significantly alter the country’s economic and social conditions.
Obi maintained that his approach would be based on starting with practical steps and building on them over time.
He also stressed the importance of giving Nigerians hope while working towards measurable improvements.
The Labour Party candidate’s position was that Nigerians should not expect an instant transformation but should instead assess the direction of government and the steps being taken to address longstanding problems.
His comments formed part of his broader campaign message ahead of the February 25, 2023 presidential election, in which he contested against candidates including Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Obi later said after the election that he remained committed to working toward what he described as a “New Nigeria.” Channels Television reported that he acknowledged that the structures responsible for many of the country’s problems could not disappear overnight.
His comments on gradual change therefore reflected his stated position that transforming Nigeria would require sustained effort rather than an immediate solution.
