The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has vowed to lead rescue operations into forests to free kidnapped victims if elected president in the 2027 general election.
Obi made the pledge while addressing supporters at a campaign rally in Bayelsa State, where he promised to take decisive action against kidnapping and insecurity, particularly the abduction of schoolchildren.
The former Anambra State governor said his administration would prioritise national security and ensure Nigerians could travel freely without fear of attacks.
“We will make Nigeria work. We will make Nigeria a place where people will live. We will secure Nigeria. Nobody will live in Nigeria where you can’t travel on the road again,” he said.
Obi, who cited his recent journeys by road across several states, argued that the condition of the country’s highways made improved security an urgent priority.
“I came to Bayelsa this morning from Enugu by road; I moved around Nigeria by road. On Tuesday, I was in Lokoja; on Wednesday, I was in Akwanga; yesterday, I was in Ebonyi, and today I am in Bayelsa. Our roads must be secured,” he stated.
He also promised that an NDC-led government would respond firmly to cases of kidnapping, declaring that no criminal group would be allowed to abduct Nigerians without facing consequences.
“NDC will secure Nigeria under our government. If anybody takes schoolchildren, if anybody kidnaps anybody, I will go into the bush. We will go into that bush and rescue the person. Nobody will try that in our government,” Obi declared.
The NDC candidate further criticised President Bola Tinubu over what he described as his failure to visit Bayelsa, despite the state’s contribution to the country’s oil revenue.
Obi questioned the President’s frequent foreign trips, arguing that he should devote more time to visiting communities and engaging with Nigerians.
“This is a state where Nigeria discovered oil. This is a state where we get money we share, and the President said he will not come here to campaign,” he said.
“Our President has travelled out of the country for over 200 days, sometimes 260 days, but he will not come to Bayelsa for one day, and he wants you to vote for him.”
On the economy and governance, Obi pledged to tackle corruption and ensure that public resources were used for the benefit of citizens rather than diverted for private interests.
He argued that an administration committed to accountability would prevent corrupt practices from undermining government policies.
“They say if you fight corruption, corruption will fight you back. And I’m telling you, under the NDC, you run away. You will not fight back because we will use public money for public good,” he said.
Obi also promised to improve access to education, saying his government would work with state administrations to provide free basic education and ensure children had access to classrooms.
“Under NDC, your children will be in school; there will be classrooms. We will work with the states to ensure that basic education, which is primary, will be free,” he added.
On electricity, the former Anambra governor pledged to increase power generation and ensure adequate transmission and distribution across the country.
“We will produce, transmit and distribute a minimum of 10,000 megawatts of electricity. The minimum we have today under APC is 4,000,” Obi said.
