Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has thrown down a direct challenge to all contenders in the 2027 presidential election, demanding that they personally present their credentials, defend their records and subject their policy proposals to public scrutiny ahead of the January 16, 2027 poll. Obi made the call on Friday, August 21, 2026, at a press conference in Onitsha, Anambra State, marking the formal commencement of his presidential and National Assembly campaign following the official opening of the campaign period on August 19. The former Anambra State governor, who is seeking the presidency alongside his running mate Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso, said candidates seeking to lead Nigeria must have the courage to engage directly with citizens and answer questions about their records and vision.
In a direct and unflinching address, Obi declared, "Every candidate must be willing to present their credentials, defend their records, and subject their vision to open scrutiny". He was more pointed in challenging presidential contenders to engage voters personally, warning that no candidate should hide behind surrogates or proxies during the campaign. "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". The NDC candidate said the 2027 election presented Nigerians with an opportunity to assess the records, ideas and programmes of those seeking to lead the country amid what he described as grave economic and security challenges.
Obi said true leadership requires presence and empathy, noting that a presidential candidate could not effectively lead Nigerians without personally engaging communities affected by insecurity, flooding and other challenges. "No one can lead from the front without standing with communities across Nigeria devastated by banditry, criminality, terrorism, or flooding," he said. "You cannot truly lead a people you are unwilling to visit, listen to and understand". The former governor said he and his running mate would personally take their campaign message across the country rather than relying on party officials or spokespersons. "Today, I make a clear commitment that I and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso will take our message directly to Nigerians. We will listen to them, understand their concerns, and engage them openly. We will not delegate this process".
Obi's comments come amid renewed scrutiny of the credentials of presidential candidates ahead of the 2027 election, following the Independent National Electoral Commission's publication of nomination forms and supporting documents submitted by candidates. The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027. The election is expected to feature a major contest between the ruling All Progressives Congress, fielding incumbent President Bola Tinubu seeking a second term, and opposition forces, amid ongoing efforts to build alliances and realignments ahead of the poll. Atiku Abubakar and Rotimi Amaechi are leading the African Democratic Congress opposition coalition, while Obi seeks the presidency under the NDC.
Obi said the campaign would be guided by what he described as the "five Cs": competence, capacity, compassion, character and commitment. He urged Nigerians to reject campaigns driven by propaganda, ethnicity and religion, saying the country needed leaders capable of tackling insecurity, poverty, hunger and the growing number of out-of-school children while improving education, healthcare and economic opportunities. According to him, Nigerians should also assess whether their lives have improved under the current administration and demand accountability from those entrusted with political power. "Democracy does not end on election day. Citizens must continue to demand transparency, accountability and resolve from those entrusted with the mandate to govern," he said.
The NDC candidate identified poverty, food insecurity, internal displacement, unemployment, weak infrastructure, unreliable electricity, insecurity and the high cost of doing business as major challenges confronting the country. He argued that the challenges were not beyond the capacity of Nigerians to overcome, pointing out that the country possessed the people, resources, market, talent and enterprise required to build a prosperous economy. Obi said a government under his leadership would shift Nigeria from a predominantly consumption-driven economy to one focused on production, investment, enterprise and human-capital development. "Nigeria cannot import its way to prosperity. We will produce more of what we consume, process more of what we produce, and compete more effectively in global markets," he declared.
On public finances, Obi said every naira spent by government should have a clear purpose and that major public investments should produce measurable outcomes. He also identified insecurity as a major obstacle to economic development, saying no country could prosper when its citizens could not farm, travel, trade or conduct business safely. He advocated improved intelligence gathering and coordination among security agencies, stronger policing and border management, greater use of technology and lawful community-based systems for security. Obi also pledged to strengthen agriculture through improved security, irrigation, rural roads, storage facilities, access to finance and markets, while promoting manufacturing and agro-processing. He said his administration, if elected, would focus on production, investment, enterprise and human-capital development, while ensuring responsible management of public finances.
Obi added that the 2027 election must be guided by competence rather than ethnic or religious sentiments. "The 2027 election must be guided by competence, capacity, compassion, character and commitment. Our campaign will focus on urgent concerns of Nigerians and not on ethnicity or religion," he said. He further argued that any presidential candidate unwilling to travel across the country and engage directly with citizens would lack the capacity to govern. "I am committed 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 added. As the 2027 presidential campaign officially gets underway, Obi's challenge has set the tone for what is expected to be a fiercely contested election, with candidates now under pressure to step out from behind their proxies and face the Nigerian people directly.
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