By Mike Odiakose, Abuja

Presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general elections, Peter Obi, yesterday, in Abuja denied being part of the planned coalition against President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of 2027.

There have been rumours that some opposition parties are coming together to tackle Tinubu and his party in the next general elections.

The former governor of Anambra State stated this in Abuja while speaking with newsmen at the sideline of a two-day National Conference on Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria.

“Well, for me, what is important is let’s discuss Nigeria. Whether we are going to do coalition… let’s talk about the future of the country, but often we abandon the country and what we need to do and talk about power grab.

“I’m not interested in any coalition for purpose of taking power. It is about discussing Nigeria.

“How do we care about securing the Nigerians? How do we care about the common person in Nigeria? “How do we care about our children being in school? That is the most important thing for now,” Obi asked rhetorically.

He emphasised that what should be paramount to politicians should be eradication of poverty, fixing public schools, hospitals and security of lives and property, adding that there should be concerted efforts to stop financial inducement in politics.

In his words, “That’s what we need to remove, because what you’re doing is encouraging stealing of public money.

“Because if I steal it and use it to win election, then I get all the power and everything, including immunity not to be prosecuted. So we must stop it. That is what’s driving the stealing.”

In his keynote address at the event, the former Vice President of Ghana, who was the presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party in Ghana’s recent general elections, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, identified bastardization of state institutions as a big threat to democracy.

Dwelling on the theme, Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Pathway To Good Governance And Political Integrity, Bawumia said, “One of the most important determinants of a flourishing democracy is the quality of institutions; institutions capable of guaranteeing rights, including property rights, and checking wanton abuse of power.

“These institutions include the independent election management bodies, the Judiciary, the ombudsman, the police, other law enforcement agencies, and many others.

“Celebrated Economists like Dani Rodrick, Daron Acemolgu, and others, have come to a firm conclusion that, when it comes to the determinants of growth, the quality of institutions towers above everything else.

“Unfortunately, whilst the culture of peacefully choosing leaders is being entrenched, these institutions are becoming weak and endangered.”

The former Vice President expressed concern over growing poverty in West Africa as a threat to democracy as he noted that the electorate are beginning to lose faith in representative government.

“One of the biggest threats to democracy today is what I call the Next Meal. Before I make my point, I need to reecho the words of one of Africa’s greatest sons, the distinguished Nelson Mandela, to wit, ‘As long as poverty, injustice, and gross inequality exist in our world, none of us can truly rest.’

“Democracy must be a means to an end. The best democracy is the one that delivers public goods and services effectively and efficiently and creates opportunities for citizens whilst making conscious efforts to leave no one behind.

“For Sub-Saharan Africa, the data suggest that we do not have an option to do nothing. In 2024, the World Bank estimated that two-thirds of the world’s population in extreme poverty live in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“Back home, the World Bank’s 2024 review reveals that more than half of Nigerians live in multidimensional poverty.

“For Nigeria, and indeed much of Sub-Saharan Africa, our work is cut out for us. We need to take decisive actions to demonstrate that to govern is to advance the interest and welfare of the people.

“We need to reconfigure our economic systems, processes, and institutions in a manner that prioritizes the next meal for majority of our people. For far too long, the focus has been on ticking the boxes on democratic institutions much to the neglect of what those institutions have been able to produce for the ordinary citizen.

“The person who is unable to afford the next ‘Eba’ meal is unlikely to appreciate any data on democratic progress.

“For our democracy to remain relevant and sustainable, actors need to ensure that citizens have confidence in the democratic system to address their needs and concerns, particularly basic needs, which I call the next meal principle,” Bawumia stated.

Vice President Kashim Shettima, represented by Alhaji Hakeem Baba Ahmed, urged those entrusted with mandate to govern to live up to peoples’ expectations by protecting their interest.He maintained that transparent governance and genuine commitment to needs of the citizenry would guarantee democracy