Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has promised that the Niger Delta will begin to see more visible benefits from the oil wealth it generates for Nigeria if he is elected president in the 2027 general election.
Obi made the pledge in Asaba, Delta State, during the inauguration of the NDC campaign headquarters in the state, where he criticised what he described as years of inadequate development in the oil-producing region.
According to him, the Niger Delta contributes significantly to Nigeria’s wealth but has not received corresponding development in infrastructure and other areas.
“One thing that I can assure you is that the days you don’t see the impact of your wealth are gone. Niger Delta must see the impact of the wealth it is creating for the nation,” Obi said.
He also expressed concern over the condition of the East-West Road and other federal roads across the region, arguing that the state of the infrastructure does not reflect the economic importance of the Niger Delta.
“You cannot pass anywhere in the Niger Delta, yet they are producing the wealth the country share every month,” he said.
Obi promised that his administration would change the situation through what he described as transparent management of Nigeria’s resources.
“We will ensure that this will change and it will change by the way we manage the resources; it will change because we are going to be transparent. We will tell you where every penny is going to,” he said.
The NDC presidential candidate also pledged to prioritise Nigeria’s healthcare system, saying his administration would work to make the country’s health facilities functional.
“We will fix it and make it work,” Obi said.
He further promised that political office holders would be required to seek medical treatment in Nigeria, except in cases where treatment abroad is considered necessary through referral.
“We will ensure that those of them who are in power must seek medical care here. Anybody that will go abroad will be for referral,” he said.
Obi also said he would spend his holidays within Nigeria if elected president, citing places such as Agbor and Warri as destinations he would visit rather than travelling abroad for vacations.
At the event, NDC’s Delta State governorship candidate, Chris Iyovwaye, and the party’s Delta Central senatorial candidate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, said they were confident of support for Obi and the party ahead of the 2027 elections.
