By Christopher Ameh
BAUCHI — The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on Nigerians to take a decisive stand on the direction of the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Obi made the call on Tuesday while delivering a goodwill remark at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue, held at the Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre, Bauchi.
He said Nigerians must begin to ask critical questions about the direction of the country and work collectively to reverse what he described as negative trends affecting the nation.
The NDC presidential candidate stressed the need for citizens to take a definite position to ensure that the 2027 elections are conducted in a manner that strengthens democracy and produces results acceptable to all stakeholders.
Speaking on the theme of the dialogue, “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save African Democracy?”, Obi expressed concern over what he described as the changing role of the judiciary in Nigeria’s democratic process.
According to him, the judiciary previously played a significant role in strengthening democratic governance in the country.
“In the past, the judiciary played positive roles in enshrining democratic leadership in Nigeria, unlike today,” he said.
Obi recalled his legal battle over the Anambra State governorship, noting that some judicial officers who handled his case did so without knowing him personally.
“This is a former Justice of the Supreme Court seated here. I had never met her in my life until after she wrote the judgment that made me the Governor of Anambra State. She did that without having to know me,” he said.
He added that a three-member panel of the Court of Appeal had also determined his case based on its merits.
“That is supposed to be the role of the judiciary in a democratic society — delivering judgment based on the merits of the facts available,” Obi said.
He, however, expressed concern over what he described as political interference in the judiciary, alleging that some judicial decisions were influenced by political considerations.
“What we have today is judges singing, ‘Mr President, on your mandate we shall stand.’ That is not what the judiciary is supposed to be in a true democracy,” he said.
Obi therefore called on Nigerians to reflect on the direction of the country and demand responsible leadership.
“Therefore, I call on the people of Nigeria. It is time for every Nigerian to sit down and find ourselves, where this nation is going. We need good leaders because there are people among us today who remain adamant and do not want a good country for our children,” he said.
He commended former President Goodluck Jonathan for consistently organising the democracy dialogue, describing it as an important platform for discussions on how to strengthen democratic governance and promote judicial neutrality.
Obi also urged Nigerians to reject what he described as a culture of bad governance, injustice and political manipulation, warning that decisions taken today could have consequences for future generations.
He said Nigeria had the potential to become a better and more prosperous country if citizens united and demanded accountability from those entrusted with political leadership.
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