The Peter Obi Media Response has turned Dr Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed’s pessimistic assessment of Nigeria’s problems into a fresh argument for Peter Obi’s 2027 presidential bid.
Datti, a former vice-presidential candidate, had argued that Nigeria’s problems were too deep for any single individual, including Obi, to rescue the country.
But Obi’s media team said the argument missed the central issue confronting Nigerians ahead of the 2027 election: whether the country can find a leader capable of beginning the process of fixing its problems.
In a statement on Monday, POMR spokesman, Idris Zekeri Jnr, said no responsible politician should claim to be capable of single-handedly rescuing Nigeria.
The group, however, insisted that this did not mean Nigerians should give up on the possibility of national renewal.
“Therefore, the question is not whether one individual can magically rescue Nigeria. No individual can,” POMR said.
“The question is whether Nigeria can elect a leader with the character, competence, prudence, and courage to begin the rescue. We believe Peter Obi can—and will.”
POMR said Obi’s argument for the presidency should be judged against his record as governor of Anambra State, where it claimed he managed public resources with greater emphasis on education, healthcare, infrastructure and human development.
The group maintained that Obi’s candidacy was not based on the promise of a political miracle but on what it described as his experience in managing government resources.
“Peter Obi does not approach Nigeria’s challenges as an experiment,” it said.
The group also acknowledged that even an Obi presidency could not solve Nigeria’s problems without institutional reforms and competent people.
It said an Obi-led government would have to strengthen institutions, tackle corruption, reduce waste, invest in production and restore confidence in government.
POMR further warned against the politics of personality, saying Nigeria needed institutions and accountable leadership rather than a leader presented as a “messiah”.
“Nigeria does not need a fake messiah. It needs leadership that understands that public money is public trust,” the statement said.
The group’s response effectively reframed the disagreement with Datti as a question of political responsibility: whether the scale of Nigeria’s problems should discourage voters or make the choice of competent leadership more urgent.
POMR said Nigerians would ultimately decide in 2027 whether Obi should be given the opportunity to replicate at the national level what the group said he demonstrated in Anambra.
“So, yes, Nigeria can be rescued. And Peter Obi can lead that rescue—not because he claims to be a miracle worker, but because his record shows that he knows how to turn limited resources into measurable results,” it said.
“With O-K, Nigeria is rescueable.”