Labour Party's Peter Obi has urged Northern Nigerian leaders to prioritize competence over religious considerations in the upcoming 2027 general elections, emphasizing the need to build trust and eliminate divisions within the country.

Speaking at the National Consultative Group (North) meeting in Abuja on Sunday, Obi linked the persistent insecurity in Northern Nigeria directly to poverty, arguing that Nigeria could achieve greatness if its leadership focused on investing in human capital development.

"I have maintained that the insecurity in Nigeria, especially in the North, rests on poverty," Obi stated. "I have been in the financial industry for years; when you look for cash you go to Kano. Go to Kano today, those industries are not there. Go to Kaduna, there are no textile industries again in Kaduna."

The former Anambra State Governor questioned the Tinubu administration's budget priorities, specifically criticizing the allocation of N15 trillion for the Lagos-Calabar coastal road while insecurity ravages the North.

"Why do we need to do a budget where we have to do a road for N15 trillion? If we put N1.5 trillion on insecurity in the North today, we can start dealing with it. We can capitalize Agric Bank with N1 trillion, and put another N1 trillion into poverty alleviation," he proposed.

The meeting, held at Continental Hotel in Abuja, included other prominent opposition figures such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, and former Labour Party Vice Presidential candidate Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed. Reports indicate this gathering is part of ongoing efforts to form a coalition aimed at challenging President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections.

Obi emphasized the North's potential to transform Nigeria, describing it as the country's "greatest asset" with solutions to national challenges embedded within the region.

"The more you pull people out of poverty, the more you solve insecurity," Obi remarked. "We have a great country that can be changed if our leaders can change and invest in humanity. It is very easy; it's not a difficult thing."

In his closing remarks, Obi called for a shift in voting patterns: "We have all tried; we voted for religion. Let's vote competence. Let's vote for capacity. Let's make this work. It can work. Let's hold our leaders responsible."