The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians not to hold historical events, including the 1966 coup, against him, stressing that he was only a child when the events occurred.
Speaking during an exclusive interview on ARISE NEWS, Obi responded to concerns over historical grievances in Northern Nigeria and their potential impact on his presidential ambition.
“You cannot hold what happened when I was barely three, four years against me,” Obi said.
Obi acknowledged that Nigeria had experienced several regrettable events in its history but said those events should not be allowed to prevent the country from pursuing unity.
“Well, what I’m asking them is that, yes, this happened, and there were other negligible things that happened. But we must build a future based on love, not on hatred,” he said.
“So we must not say, yes, things were not done properly. Those things were not done properly. I was not involved with it. So it is time to show love. It’s time to show unity.”
Obi said his presidential ambition was centred on bringing Nigerians together, stressing that national unity would be a central objective of his presidency.
“That’s why my presidency is about unity of the country. And it’s important that people understand that,” he said.
He further urged Nigerians to focus on the future rather than remain preoccupied with past events, citing the January and July 1966 coups and the Nigerian Civil War as episodes that had become part of the country’s history.
“What I said is the past. We’re sure there’s other things that happened subsequently. And everybody will say, OK, there was January. There was June. There was Civil War. There was everything,” Obi said.
“All these are part of our history, which we can only overcome by love.”
The NDC presidential candidate said Nigeria’s future should not be sacrificed because of historical grievances, urging citizens to concentrate on building a better country.
“You don’t dwell on yesterday. Don’t you dwell on yesterday and today. We miss tomorrow. Tomorrow is the only future we have. We need to build tomorrow,” he said.
Obi also expressed his commitment to the development of Northern Nigeria, particularly through agriculture, arguing that the region’s vast arable land offered significant economic opportunities.
“I’m only trying to explain to them that I’m committed to your future. I believe there’s a lot the North can offer Nigeria. I say it every day,” he said.
“We have huge, arable, uncultivated land. We can make more money as a country from agriculture than we make from oil.”
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