Obi Says London Talks With British Officials Focused on Nigeria’s Leadership Crisis

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, has disclosed that he met with British government officials and Nigerians in the diaspora during a visit to London, with discussions centred on rebuilding Nigeria and confronting what he described as bad leadership, corruption and a lack of accountability.

Obi said he arrived in London from Basel, Switzerland, at 7 am on Wednesday, October 21, and held several engagements with stakeholders in the United Kingdom before rounding off the day with a meeting organised by the COPDEM chief and the NDC Director of Diaspora Affairs.

The former Anambra State governor stated that the discussions focused on the collective responsibility of Nigerians to free the country from poor leadership and other challenges undermining national development.

He lamented that the situation had deprived millions of Nigerians of access to basic necessities, including quality healthcare, education and decent employment.

“We must build a Nigeria where the child of nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody,” Obi said.

Obi added that Nigeria must become a country that works for everyone rather than a privileged few.

The London engagement is part of a series of international meetings Obi has held ahead of the 2027 general elections.

In September, he travelled to Germany and the United Kingdom for high-level discussions on democracy, electoral integrity, poverty, education, corruption and healthcare.

The British government has also been engaging with Nigerian political stakeholders.

In April, UK High Commissioner Richard Montgomery and Deputy High Commissioner Gill Lever met with Obi, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan, with the UK mission stating it looked forward to working with all parties to support inclusive and credible elections.

Nigeria’s presidential election is scheduled for January 16, 2027, according to the revised timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission.