The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Mr. Peter Obi, has called for unity and a true rebirth of Nigeria.
Obi urged Nigerians to let the season symbolise a genuine new beginning for the country — a time for sober reflection and renewed determination.
He made these remarks in his New Year message on Thursday, January 1, 2026.
“May this be the year we take our democracy seriously, not just as a ritual of elections, but as a daily commitment to unity, justice, accountability, compassion, and the rule of law. Let it signal the start of a true rebirth for Nigeria, a year when we gather the courage to confront our shortcomings honestly and begin to build a broad national consensus based on integrity, fairness, and shared sacrifice,” Obi stated.
He called on leaders to rediscover the sacred duty of truth-telling about their backgrounds, intentions, policies, actions, and even their health, stressing that leadership thrives on trust and that trust is only possible with honesty.
Obi urged those in authority to see public office as a solemn call to service rather than a platform for personal enrichment, and to ensure that public resources are managed with transparency, discipline, and a deep sense of responsibility to both present and future generations.
He also noted that the New Year should be a time for compassion and sacrifice, with leaders consciously placing the needs of the poor, the weak, and the forgotten at the centre of the nation’s conscience.
The former Anambra State governor emphasised that a nation is not defined by the grandeur of its celebrations but by the dignity of life it offers its citizens.
“Therefore, let us prioritise a better standard of living over elaborate funerals; let us invest more in hospitals than in hearses, more in schools than in slogans, and more in jobs and productivity than in extravagance and waste,” he said.
He added: “Above all, may this year renew our collective resolve to create a Nigeria that truly works for all — just in its laws, productive in its economy, united in its diversity, and humane in its treatment of every citizen.”
