Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, says his proposed presidency would see him spend holiday periods within Nigeria rather than travel abroad if elected in the 2027 general election.
Obi made the commitment in his Independence Day address in Abuja, where he said his four-year tenure would include visits to different parts of the country during official breaks.
The former Anambra State governor specifically named Zamfara, Borno, Kwara, Ebonyi, Edo and Ekiti among the states he intends to visit, alongside other parts of the country.
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According to him, the planned domestic trips would provide an opportunity to interact directly with Nigerians, listen to their concerns and gain a better understanding of the conditions in which they live.
Obi said the decision would also form part of his approach to leading by example, arguing that the country’s president should remain connected to citizens and their everyday experiences.
“As I have always done, I will lead by example. In four years as president of this great nation, I will not spend my holidays outside Nigeria,” he said.
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He added that his intention was to continue travelling across the country, understand Nigeria more closely, engage with citizens and recognise their resilience.
The pledge is not the first time Obi has spoken about keeping presidential holidays within the country. In September, he made a similar commitment at a town hall meeting in Kaduna, where he said he would use holiday periods to visit states affected by insecurity.
At the Kaduna meeting, he mentioned Zamfara and Borno, as well as other states, as possible destinations.
His latest statement, however, expands the list of states he intends to visit and links the proposed holiday travel to a broader philosophy of governance.
Obi also used his Independence Day address to outline his position on some of the challenges confronting the country, including insecurity, poverty, unemployment and the number of children outside school.
He said an administration under his leadership would make governance measurable and accountable, with emphasis on the welfare and productivity of Nigerians.
The NDC candidate also promised to tackle insecurity, saying farmers should be able to return to their farms, children should attend school without fear and businesses should operate freely.
He argued that no Nigerian should be forced to live in an internally displaced persons camp because the government failed to provide adequate security.
Obi’s decision to mention Zamfara and Borno is significant within his wider security message because both states have experienced serious security challenges in recent years.
Rather than presenting presidential travel as a matter of leisure alone, Obi framed his proposed domestic holidays as an opportunity for the president to see conditions in different parts of the country first-hand.
He said Nigerians should be able to live, work and travel without fear, while government should take responsibility for creating an environment in which communities can recover from insecurity.
The former Anambra governor also criticised the current administration, arguing that the challenges facing Nigeria remain severe despite promises made ahead of the 2023 elections.
He identified poverty, insecurity, terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and the large number of out-of-school children among the issues requiring urgent attention.
Obi further argued that Nigeria’s major problem was not simply a shortage of resources but the inability of successive governments to convert available resources into improved human development, security and economic opportunities.
He referred to a recent visit to Sokoto State with his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, where they held discussions on insecurity, poverty, unemployment, drug abuse and children who are out of school.
During the visit, Obi said he also saw the conditions of internally displaced persons at a camp in Ramin Kura, within Sokoto metropolis.
He described the experience as evidence of the hardship confronting people displaced by insecurity and argued that such conditions should receive greater attention from government.
The NDC candidate said his proposed leadership would seek to maintain direct contact with Nigerians rather than rely solely on reports from government officials and institutions.
His holiday proposal therefore forms part of a wider campaign message centred on closer interaction with citizens and a more visible presence in communities facing social, economic and security challenges.
Obi has also previously linked his domestic holiday proposal to the need to restore confidence in Nigeria. In earlier remarks, he said a president should be willing to spend time in parts of the country affected by insecurity rather than automatically leaving the country for holidays.
The 2027 presidential contest is expected to feature several political figures and parties as preparations gather pace. Obi is campaigning under the Nigeria Democratic Congress, while presenting security, accountability, human development and economic productivity as key areas of his proposed administration.
For now, his latest commitment is that, if elected, presidential holidays during his four-year tenure would be spent across Nigerian states, including Zamfara and Borno, rather than outside the country.
He said the visits would allow him to see more of Nigeria, understand citizens’ experiences and engage directly with the people he would be elected to govern.
