The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has called on President Bola Tinubu and other contenders in the 2027 race to defend their track records and put their manifestos to the test of public debate.
At a world press conference on Friday, the former governor of Anambra State warned against candidates hiding behind representatives when facing the electorate. He urged contenders to show the courage to engage citizens directly, answer tough questions, and defend their public service histories.
“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.
“Every candidate seeking the presidency must have the courage to come before the people, answer their questions, defend their records, and subject their vision to public scrutiny.”
Highlighting the economic and security crises blighting the country, including widespread poverty, unemployment, crumbling infrastructure, and rampant insecurity, Obi maintained that Nigeria possesses the necessary human and natural wealth to engineer a turnaround.
To tackle these challenges, Obi pledged to pivot the nation from “consumption to production” by driving growth through agriculture, technology, manufacturing, energy, and the creative sector, alongside targeted investments in healthcare, education, and vocational training for young people. On national security, he advocated for decentralised policing, enhanced intelligence, and better agency coordination, noting that insecurity has become a major economic bottleneck preventing farmers from cultivating their fields and businesses from operating.
The NDC candidate stressed that the 2027 contest must be fought on “capacity, competence, compassion, character and commitment” rather than ethnicity, religion, or political patronage. Drawing on his private sector background and governance record in Anambra, Obi insisted that Nigeria can work and expressed his commitment to unifying and securing the nation on a path toward inclusive growth.
Obi announced that he and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, would travel nationwide to meet voters directly in affected communities rather than delegating campaign duties to proxies. “Every candidate seeking the presidency must have the courage to come before the people, answer their questions, defend their records, and subject their vision to public scrutiny,” Obi stated.
He further noted that “true leadership requires presence and empathy,” noting that candidates cannot lead from the front without standing alongside communities suffering from banditry, terrorism, and natural disasters like flooding.
Obi appealed for a peaceful, ideas-driven campaign free from violence or hatred, stressing that democracy requires ongoing transparency and accountability long after the polls close. “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,” he concluded.