Peter Obi politicians are Nigeria’s problem, the NDC candidate says, urging prayers for leaders to stop stealing public funds and improve governance
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, and Apostle Joshua Selman, founder of Eternity Network International and leader of Koinonia Global, were at Koinonia Global in Abuja on Sunday, August 30, 2026, where Obi delivered a candid assessment of Nigeria’s challenges and urged Nigerians to pray for politicians to provide better leadership.
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The former Anambra State governor used his appearance at the worship centre to acknowledge the responsibility of politicians for the country’s difficulties, saying Nigeria itself was not fundamentally the problem.
Obi’s remarks were notable for including himself among those he criticised, rather than directing the blame solely at rival political parties or individual office holders.
“I believe that people like you are the ones keeping our country. The only thing I can ask all of you who are gathered here, because I know he’s praying for the country, is that you remember us, the politicians, in your prayers,” Obi said.
He then delivered his central message in unusually direct terms.
“We are the problem of the country. There’s nothing wrong with Nigeria. What is wrong in Nigeria is the leadership, the politicians God created in this country,” he said.
Obi appealed to the congregation to pray for a change in the attitudes of public officials, particularly over the management of government resources.
“Let God touch our hearts to use public money for public good. Let God touch us to stop stealing. That is why people are suffering here,” he said.
The intervention came against the backdrop of increasing political activity ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, in which Obi is seeking the presidency under the NDC.
His message, however, was framed less as a campaign appeal and more as a call for personal responsibility among politicians.
Obi argued that Nigeria possesses sufficient natural and economic resources to improve living standards if public wealth is properly managed and invested.
“If we use the wealth of this nation and invest it, it will go a long way. So remember us in your prayers,” he added.
The argument reflects a position Obi has repeatedly advanced in discussions about governance: that Nigeria’s challenge is not simply a shortage of resources, but how those resources are managed and converted into better outcomes for citizens.
At Koinonia, he reinforced the point by referring to his experiences in other countries.
“I’ve been to so many countries of the world. And I’ve seen things work in other nations. It is leadership,” Obi said.
The former governor also resisted turning his appeal into a partisan message.
He asked worshippers not to divide politicians into those they considered good and those they considered bad, instead urging them to pray for political leaders collectively.
“Don’t say one is good, the other one is bad. All of us, remember all of us in your prayers, because the problem of the country can be solved. I assure you of that,” Obi said.
The setting added a human dimension to the political message. Rather than speaking at a traditional campaign event, Obi addressed a congregation at a religious gathering led by Selman, where the focus was on prayer and spiritual reflection.
The appearance has nevertheless generated discussion because of its proximity to the 2027 election.
Some online critics have questioned the presence of political figures at religious gatherings during the emerging campaign season, while others have viewed Obi’s appeal as consistent with the wider role of faith communities in national conversations.
Obi’s political career has already included a significant national electoral campaign.
He contested the 2023 presidential election as the Labour Party candidate and later moved into the NDC ahead of the 2027 contest.
His latest remarks therefore carry both a governance message and a political context, even though he did not use the occasion to attack a particular opponent.
The most striking feature of his intervention was the willingness to place politicians, including himself, within the scope of the criticism.
By asking Nigerians to pray for those in public office, Obi presented the country’s political difficulties as a problem requiring not only policy changes but also a shift in character, accountability and the handling of public money.
For a country preparing for another major electoral contest, the message was ultimately one of responsibility and hope: Nigeria’s challenges, Obi argued, are serious but not beyond repair if political leaders choose to put public interest ahead of personal gain.
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The Peter Obi politicians message was therefore both a blunt admission and an optimistic appeal, with the NDC candidate telling Nigerians that better leadership remains within the country’s reach.
