From Marcel Duru, Owerri.
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Peter Obi, on Friday stormed Owerri for a Town Hall Meeting at an Event Centre, declaring that the market remains the engine of Imo State and promising to generate 10,000 megawatts of electricity if elected in 2027.Obi, who walked through Owerri market on his way to the venue, said he was moved by market women who struggled to gift him their goods. Addressing crowd of supporters, traders, students and youth leaders, Obi said Ndi Imo Ndi Oma! I passed through your market today on my way here. And I saw what makes Imo great – not oil, not government house – but your market women, your youth, your traders. Today I did not see hopelessness, I saw energy. The woman who tried to give me her tomatoes, her fish – she was not begging, she was showing love. That love is massive and I will never betray it.””How can Imo, land of peace, become land of fear? Orlu, Orsu, Oru East, Oru West – our brothers cannot go to farm. We cannot secure people by keeping soldiers in their farms. When I was governor in Anambra, we made security about intelligence and community, not just guns. We will secure Imo within one year. No more Monday sit-at-home killing our market economy.”
“I walked through market – no light. You are running diesel. You buy diesel N1,400, you sell garri N800. How will you profit? Trader is engine of Nigeria. Government has forgotten trader. Under NDC government, we will support small traders with micro-credit at single digit.”I said in Enugu yesterday – we will generate, transmit and distribute 10,000MW. Today Nigeria generates only 5,400MW for 240 million people. South Africa with 60 million does 40,000MW. That is why your cold room fails.”Obi blasted INEC over admission that AI-generated photos entered preliminary voter register,and saw news yesterday – INEC admitted AI-generated photos entered voter register. Director said registration officers did it. This is serious. INEC says we should trust them for 2027 election, but preliminary register has AI faces from Edo to Imo. How? We demand cleaning before final. Every Nigerian must go and check his name. If you see fake names in your polling unit in Ikenegbu, New Owerri, report.
We cannot allow rigging to start from registration.”INEC had on Oct 30 admitted irregularities after preliminary register published online Oct 26-27 showed AI-generated photos, with Director ICT Lawrence Bayode blaming some registration officers who used login credentials to introduce questionable recordsSome people ask why I left Labour and joined NDC with my brother Kwankwaso. I did not leave struggle. Struggle is to rescue Nigeria. NDC is Nigeria Democratic Congress – it is coalition of patriots. Whether LP, NDC, ADC – rainbow coalition must happen.”I see many youths in Owerri today – all want to Japa. Why? No jobs. Imo has talent. Owerri can be technology hub like Bangalore in India. We have universities – FUTO, IMSU, Federal Poly Nekede. Graduates doing keke. We will create jobs by investing in education, health, MSMEs. We will reverse Japa to Japada.”Ndi Imo, keep your PVC. Go and verify your name – no AI name should replace your name. Tell your neighbour. Market women, thank you for your gifts today, I will not forget. I came through market, I will return through market. A new Imo is possible, a new Nigeria is possible. Dalu!”Crowd chanted “Obi! Obi! Obi! – Onye isi!”shows market women struggling to present fish, tomatoes, yams to Obi, captioned “The Love Is Massive” – over 15,000 views in one hour. Another video shows Obi walking through Owerri market ahead of town hall. Town hall ended with Q&A with farmers from Orlu on herdsmen attacks, students on ASUU, and prayers by Catholic priest.
