Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi has urged elected public officials to spend their vacations within Nigeria.
He argued that domestic holidays would force leaders to witness the severe socio-economic hardships and systemic neglect confronting everyday citizens.
Obi made the call after concluding his two-day consultation visit to Sokoto State, where he met with diverse stakeholder groups to discuss pressing national issues, including rampant insecurity, the rising number of out-of-school children, endemic poverty, youth unemployment, and drug prevalence across the region.
‘This is why I continue to say that the President’s and political office holders’ holidays must be within Nigeria, so that they can see first-hand the difficulties faced by these fellow Nigerians, whose vulnerability has been worsened by the failure of government to prioritise critical areas of development,’ Obi stated.
The final leg of Obi’s outreach involved a visit to the Ramin Kura Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Sokoto North Local Government Area, which currently shelters over 1,000 displaced persons within the Sokoto metropolis.
Describing the living conditions at the facility as deeply distressing, Obi noted that citizens are crammed into makeshift shelters and thatched structures, with single rooms accommodating up to 10 people.
The facility also lacks basic amenities, including adequate toilet facilities, a primary healthcare centre, and basic educational infrastructure for children.
He said: ‘I have always insisted that as long as even one Nigerian lives in an IDP camp, we are all internally displaced.’
Marking his 12th visit to IDP camps across the nation, Obi reaffirmed his personal commitment to continuously supporting displaced citizens for as long as necessary.
He emphasised that while the current administration must act assiduously to make temporary accommodations humane and dignified, the primary responsibility remains tackling the root security challenges that caused the displacements, enabling citizens to return safely to their ancestral homes.
Obi concluded his statement with a direct plea to the federal government and humanitarian agencies for immediate intervention, reiterating his political mantle that ‘A New Nigeria is Possible and will be OK’.