The presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr. Peter Obi, has released a 72-page campaign manifesto entitled, ‘It’s Possible: Our Pact with Nigerians’.
Announcing the release of the manifesto, Obi took to his verified Twitter page and wrote: “I have the honour to present our 72-page Manifesto, titled, ‘It’s Possible: Our Pact with Nigerians.’ This Manifesto, its overarching and visionary policy planks, lays out our mission focus and mandate for securing, uniting and making Nigeria productive.”
The document which was made public by the LP leadership late on Saturday night outlined priority areas if the party wins the 2023 presidential election.
These are 1) moving Nigeria from consumption to production; 2) embarking on comprehensive legal and institutional reforms and practicable restructuring measures, to fight corruption; to ensure the enthronement of the rule of law, and decisively tackle all forms of corruption; 3) prioritising human capital development through robust investments in STEM education, health, and infrastructural development, with emphasis on wealth creation, distribution and sustainable development; 4) engineering the transition of Nigeria from fossil fuel dependency to climate and eco-friendly energy use; 5) pursuing holistic poverty eradication with emphasis on agricultural revolution through effective utilization of our vast arable lands, particularly in Northern Nigeria, and erase Nigeria’s categorization as the poverty capital of the world; 6) improving access to finance, particularly to MSMEs, youths and women, to significantly reduce unemployment and insecurity; 7) ensuring that in policy and practice, governance will be made more inclusive, cost-effective, transformative, and less transactional. No more sharing of the national wealth by a few.
The LP presidential candidate further said he would end banditry and insurgency if elected president.
“Restructure the polity through effective legal and institutional reforms to entrench the rule of law, aggressively fight corruption, reduce cost of governance, and establish an honest and efficient civil service.
“Leapfrog Nigeria into the 4th Industrial Revolution (4IR) through the application of scientific and technological innovations to create a digital economy.
“Build expansive and world-class infrastructure for efficient powers supply, rail, road and air transportation, and pipeline network, through integrated public-private partnerships, and entrepreneurial public sector governance.
“Enhance the human capital of Nigerian youths for productivity and global competitiveness through investment in world-class scholarship and research, quality healthcare, and entrepreneurship education.
“Conduct an afro-centric diplomacy that protects the rights of Nigerian citizens abroad and advances the economic interests of Nigerians and Nigerian businesses in a changing world,” the document stated.
While insisting that a new Nigeria is still possible said: “Our vision is a secure, united and prosperous Nigeria that works for everyone and that realizes the hope of black people of the world as a city on the hill.
“We will run a government of national unity, bringing together for the task at hand, all competent, honest, and diligent Nigerians, irrespective of their political affiliations.
“The new Nigeria we build will be truly ‘one nation bound in freedom, peace and unity” where “peace and justices hall reign.”
Furthermore, he said: “We will build a new social order where political leaders will be public servants working for the good of the people and not predators, flourishing in the midst of extreme poverty and misery.
“We are building a society where citizens are motivated to work hard, to innovate, to invent, fully assured that they will enjoy the fruits of their enterprise.
“We want to create wealth for Nigeria and for every household through diligence, frugality and enterprise.
“Our new Nigeria is a country all Nigerians will be proud to call home because it is an economic giant that can feed its citizens, defend them from any aggression and secure them in their homes and businesses.”
