The Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Gregory Obi on Thursday, 29th December, attended a dialogue session which was organised by youths supporting Labour Party with the topic of discussion titled, “The Nigeria We Want”.

The panellist session, which includes seven renowned individuals from various sectors of the economy, drilled Obi and asked him several questions.

During the discussion, Peter Obi was asked how he intends to deal with the high level of corruption in the educational sector while also investing in education to reduce out-of-school children. The Labour Party presidential candidate responded by suggesting that schools would be funded directly rather than through a series of agencies before arriving at their destination. To avoid the syphoning of government funds by various agencies.

Peter Obi, was also questioned on the omission of the media from his Manifesto. He was questioned about his aspirations to make the media autonomous. How would he address the issue of journalists accepting bribes from politicians to write favourable articles about them, taking advantage of their poverty? Peter Obi said he might not be vocal about the media, but it is a part of his plans. He intends to communicate with people directly rather than through spokespersons. In his statement, he stated, “I would never gag the press, there will be freedom of expression and press. What you don’t know, you learn. Nobody is perfect. If you make a mistake, you apologise.”

According to Peter Obi, Nigeria is in a catastrophic state as a result of poverty. He went on to say that there is little variation between each candidate’s manifesto. The question is who the public can rely on. He also stated that if he is elected president, he will welcome blockchain technology as an asset that will provide many opportunities for Nigerians.

About the Author

Timileyin Abdulsalam is a CIAPS Graduate of Media & Communication.