By Eshioromeh Sebastian
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has issued a direct challenge to President Bola Tinubu and other 2027 presidential candidates: defend your records before Nigerians or step aside.
Speaking at the official commencement of the 2027 presidential and National Assembly campaigns on August 21, Obi declared that no candidate should seek the nation’s highest office without subjecting their vision and track record to public scrutiny.
“No candidate should hide behind the high walls of power, send proxies or surrogates to the hustings, and expect Nigerians to entrust them with the leadership of the country,” Obi said in his address.
The former Anambra State governor emphasised that every presidential candidate must have the courage to come before the people, answer questions, defend their records, and submit their vision to open examination.
“True leadership requires presence and empathy. No one can lead from the front without standing with communities across Nigeria devastated by banditry, criminality, terrorism, and flooding,” he stated.
Obi made it clear that he and his running mate, Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, would personally take their message directly to Nigerians rather than delegating the duty to proxies.
“Any presidential candidate who lacks the resolve to travel across the country, meet the people, and respond to their questions lacks the capacity to govern it,” he declared.
The NDC flagbearer’s challenge comes just days after he joined other presidential candidates to sign the first National Peace Accord for the 2027 elections.
In a LinkedIn post on August 18, Obi had reinforced his commitment to issue-based campaigning, writing: “Those of us wishing to be addressed as ‘His Excellency’ must behave excellently, and, more importantly, the process of attaining public office must be excellent.”
Obi urged Nigerians to reject campaigns driven by propaganda, ethnicity, religion, elitism, or cronyism, insisting that the 2027 election must be guided by capacity, competence, compassion, character, and commitment.
In his address, Obi outlined Nigeria’s challenges as “existential,” citing IMF data showing 63 percent—over 140 million Nigerians—living at or below the national poverty line, while humanitarian agencies estimate that 35 million people will need food assistance during the 2026 lean season.
According to Obi, about 3.6 million Nigerians remain internally displaced, largely because of conflict and insecurity, while millions of young people enter the labour market each year without finding productive opportunities.
“These are more than statistics. They reflect the daily realities of Nigerian families, farmers, workers, students, and businesses,” he said.
He pledged to move Nigeria “from consumption to production,” with a focus on agricultural productivity, manufacturing, security, and human capital development.
“We will raise agricultural productivity by securing farming communities, expanding irrigation, improving rural roads and storage, and linking farmers to finance and markets. We will also strengthen manufacturing and agro-processing so Nigeria can export more finished goods and capture greater value from its resources,” Obi stated.
He also promised to create a business environment where entrepreneurs can invest, hire, and grow without unnecessary regulatory or infrastructure barriers.
Obi stressed that no nation can prosper when its people cannot live, farm, travel, or do business safely.
“Our response must therefore be comprehensive. We must improve intelligence gathering and coordination among security agencies, strengthen policing and border management, and make better use of technology. We must also support lawful community-based systems that identify threats early and enable effective responses,” he said.
He emphasised the imperative of decentralising security management while maintaining strong systems of coordination between levels of government.
The NDC presidential candidate rejected the notion that Nigeria’s young population represents a burden, describing it instead as an enormous opportunity.
“We will improve basic education, strengthen universities, and expand technical and vocational training. Nigeria needs doctors, engineers, scientists, and lawyers, as well as technicians, mechanics, builders, nurses, farmers, programmers, manufacturers, artisans, and entrepreneurs,” Obi said.
He also promised to strengthen Nigeria’s primary healthcare system, which he described as “very poor,” with infant and maternal mortality among the worst globally.
Obi outlined a vision where every region becomes productive and prosperous, noting that the North-West can expand agriculture and agro-processing, the South-West can build on strengths in manufacturing and technology, the South-East can expand its entrepreneurial and industrial strength, and the South-South can derive greater value from oil and gas while expanding maritime services and fisheries.
Drawing from his private-sector experience and tenure as Governor of Anambra State, Obi stressed that government must manage resources responsibly, set clear priorities, and measure the outcomes of its decisions.
“Public office is not a reward; it is a responsibility to the people,” he said.
He criticised the current administration’s approach, arguing that Nigeria needs more than reactive reforms.
“The World Bank’s April 2026 Nigeria Development Update makes clear that Nigeria’s challenge is to turn economic reform and stabilisation into improved livelihoods, stronger human capital, wider opportunities, and inclusive growth. We will pursue practical reforms that deliver lasting results, combining fiscal discipline with productive investment, as Senator Kwankwaso and I have demonstrated,” Obi said.
He pledged to cut wasteful spending while protecting investments that create jobs and expand productive capacity, and to raise public revenue without stifling businesses.
Obi called on Nigerians to examine each candidate’s record and proposals, ask tough questions, and demand evidence behind every promise.
“We should debate ideas without hatred, compete without violence, and disagree without weakening the bonds that unite us. When Nigerians make their choice, that choice must be respected,” he said.
He emphasised that democracy does not end on election day, urging citizens to continue demanding transparency, accountability, and results from those entrusted with the mandate to govern.
“A united Nigeria, guided by shared purpose and a commitment to fairness, justice, and equity, will make transformation easier, strengthen our institutions, and help us hold our leaders accountable,” Obi stated.
Obi made a firm commitment to take his message directly to Nigerians alongside his running mate.
“We will listen to them, understand their concerns, and engage them openly. We will not delegate this duty to proxies. We will answer questions, defend our record and character, and present our plan to rebuild Nigeria,” he said.
He concluded with a declaration of hope: “I commit to commencing the journey of resetting Nigeria by uniting it, securing it on the path of economic and inclusive growth, and moving our country from consumption to production. A New Nigeria is possible.”
Obi called on his supporters to remain firm, determined, and peaceful throughout the electioneering process.
Discussion about this post