Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential candidate for the 2027 Elections, Peter Obi, has come out to tell the “difficult truth” that, peace exceeds the “absence of violence”.
He said, it is hard for the country to achieve “enduring peace” while Nigerians battle with “insecurity, hunger and poverty”.
The former Governor of Anambra State made the statement on International Day of Peace, Monday 21 September, 2026.
Via X, he defined peace as when “farmers can safely travel to and from their fields” and children going to school with no “threat of abduction”.
Peace is achieved when “families can afford adequate food”, he added.
Obi said: “As the world observes the International Day of Peace, Nigeria must acknowledge a difficult truth: enduring peace cannot be achieved while citizens continue to face insecurity, hunger, poverty, and despair.
“Peace means more than the absence of violence. It exists when farmers can travel safely to and from their fields, children can attend school without the threat of abduction, families can afford adequate food, and young people can envision a future in their own country.”
Obi said, peace can be achieved in the presence of “effective governance” and government must ensure lives are “safeguarded”, justice guaranteed and corruption “combated”.
Also, he said, the “circumstances” that bring about “instability”, ultimately leading to “insecurity” must not be “neglected”. When a Naira gets “misused”, the “opportunity” to bolster peace is “lost”.
Obi said: “For this reason, peace must be grounded in effective governance. Governments must safeguard lives, ensure justice, combat corruption, invest in education and healthcare, expand productive opportunities, and manage national resources responsibly.
“We cannot continue addressing only the visible effects of insecurity while neglecting the circumstances that generate desperation and instability.
“Every naira misused represents a lost opportunity to strengthen peace. Every citizen left without support reflects a crisis overlooked. Every injustice committed erodes the foundations of peace.”
Obi said, Nigeria has within its possession every resource “necessary” to become “peaceful and prosperous”, adding, what is needed is “accountability and political will” to position Nigerians right at the “centre of governance”.
He called on Nigerians to make a “pledge” to establish a Nigeria in which “justice is upheld” and every citizen can survive in “dignity and hope”.
Obi said: “Nigeria possesses the resources necessary to become a secure, peaceful, and prosperous nation. What is required is leadership, accountability, and the political will to place the Nigerian people at the centre of governance.
“On this International Day of Peace, let us pledge to build a Nigeria in which justice is upheld, lives are protected, opportunities are expanded, and every citizen can live with dignity and hope.”
He concluded: “Responsible governance is the foundation of peace.”
International Day of Peace
The International Day of Peace, also officially known as the World Peace Day. It is a sanctioned holiday by the United Nations (UN) which is observed yearly on 21 September.
The Day is dedicated to World peace, and particularly the absence of war and violence.
According to un.org, the theme for 2026 is ‘Invest in Peace: For Everyone, Everywhere, Every Day’.
The United Nations (UN) says:
Under the theme, this year’s International Day of Peace honours the ‘everyday architects of peace’—people driving local action, laying the groundwork for stability, and building a lasting peace from the ground up.
The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by the United Nations General Assembly. Two decades later, in 2001, the General Assembly unanimously voted to designate the Day as a period of non-violence and cease-fire.
