The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, says he decided to join the opposition coalition because there was a need to “build bridges to dismantle” structures of poverty and insecurity in Nigeria.

“No one group can change Nigeria alone. To dismantle the structures that keep our people in poverty and insecurity, we must build bridges, not walls even when those bridges are uneasy,” Mr Obi wrote on his X handle on Thursday.

The LP candidate, who came third in the 2023 general election, said his decision to join the coalition was based on the need for Nigeria’s progress.

“This decision was not made lightly. It comes from deep reflection on where we are as a country and what must be done to move forward,” he said.