Obi Vows to Make Political Leaders Seek Medical Treatment in Nigeria

BY FRONTLINE REPORTERS

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2027 general election, Peter Obi, has pledged to ensure that political office holders seek medical treatment in Nigeria if elected president.

Obi also said he would spend his holidays in Nigeria, promoting domestic tourism and encouraging leaders to patronise local facilities and destinations rather than travel abroad.

He made the remarks on Thursday in Asaba, Delta State, during the inauguration of the NDC secretariat in the state.

Obi said his administration would prioritise the development of the country’s healthcare system and ensure that political leaders use medical facilities in Nigeria.

“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.

The former Anambra State governor also criticised President Bola Tinubu’s prolonged stay abroad, arguing that Nigerian leaders should remain more closely connected to the country and its challenges.

“Today, our President is in France. He went for three weeks and he has spent more than three weeks,” Obi said.

He added: “As President of Nigeria, all my holidays will be in Nigeria. I will go to Agbor for holiday; I will go to Warri for holidays, not France.”

The Presidency had said Tinubu’s stay in France was part of a working vacation and that he remained in contact with government officials in Nigeria while away.

Obi, however, reiterated his commitment to strengthening the country’s healthcare system and making it functional and accessible to Nigerians.

He also expressed concern over what he described as the neglect of the Niger Delta despite the region’s significant contribution to Nigeria’s economy.

“One thing that I can assure you is that the days you don’t see the impact of your wealth is gone. Niger Delta must see the impact of the wealth it is creating for the nation,” he said.

Obi further criticised the condition of the East-West Road and other federal roads in the region.

“You cannot pass anywhere in the Niger Delta, yet they are producing the wealth the country shares every month,” he said.

He promised that an NDC administration would seek to address the region’s infrastructure challenges through what he described as transparent management of public 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,” Obi said.