Nigeria: How I'll Unify Nigeria, Heal Civil War Wounds If Elected - Peter Obi

What the report says

Premium Times, in a report distributed by AllAfrica, says Peter Obi, the Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate for 2027, has said that national unity and reconciliation would be central priorities if he is elected president. Obi, a former governor of Anambra State, made the comments during an appearance on Channels TV’s Sunday Politics on Sunday night, according to the report.

The discussion referenced Nigeria’s 1967-1970 civil war, which Premium Times said killed more than three million people, largely from Eastern Nigeria, and caused property losses worth billions of naira. Obi argued that his presidency would mark the start of a healing process and said Nigerians should recognise painful history without allowing it to define the country’s future. The report also said he was asked about whether his election could help address wounds linked to the war and related historical grievances, including the 1966 counter-coup.

Obi also responded to criticism from Ali-Modu Sheriff, a former Borno State governor, who had questioned his ability to unite the country. In defending his record, Obi pointed to his tenure as Anambra governor from 2006 to 2014 and to later visits and interventions in several northern states, including Borno, Benue, Gombe, Kaduna and Sokoto. He cited condolence visits during the early Boko Haram crisis, support after floods, time spent in internally displaced persons camps, and funding for boreholes and agricultural facilities.

The remarks matter because national cohesion remains a major theme in Nigerian politics, especially in presidential contests where regional, ethnic and religious balancing often shapes public debate. Premium Times reported Obi’s comments as part of his effort to present himself as a candidate with national reach ahead of the 2027 election.