Peter Obi holds rally in Lagos ahead of presidential election

Nigerian presidential candidate Peter Obi has spoken to thousands of supporters at a rally in Lagos ahead of elections later this month.

Meanwhile, Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the elections would go ahead as scheduled despite growing tensions around currency and fuel shortages.

61 year-old Peter Obi is a former governor of Anambra State was an opposition PDP vice-presidential candidate during the last election of 2019.

Attending the rally, pension administrator, Muyiwa Ojeniyi, said: "The last time, I have been voting for PDP.

"I started voting in 2011 and it has been PDP. But this time around, I'm not voting for a party, I'm voting for an individual that I believe will rescue me, rescue my family, rescue my future. 

"It's been pretty difficult living as a Nigerian, in fact, we are only surviving as Nigerians. So we want to live, we want to make something meaningful out of our life in Nigeria."

The election scheduled for 25 February is a very close race to succeed President Muhammadu Buhari, who is stepping down after two terms in office.

"Since he came out to declare for president, there has been no single case, we've not heard the FCC [Nigeria's anti-corruption body] dragging him up and down," said Ojeniyi.

"This goes a long way to show that he has nothing to hide, and it gives us a whole lot of confidence that there is nothing to hide and that when he gets to office, he will judiciously execute his duties as a president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. So that's why he is our only hope, my only preferred candidate for this election."

Obi has gained popularity in the last two years, especially on social networks.

He has benefited from increased political awareness among young people who revolted in October 2020 during a protest movement against police violence, called Endsars.