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Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi has challenged those seeking Nigeria’s presidency in 2027 to publicly defend their records, credentials and plans, saying candidates must be prepared to face Nigerians rather than rely on proxies.
Obi, a former Anambra State governor, made the call on Friday in an address marking the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections. He said the campaign period gives Nigerians an opportunity to assess the records, ideas and proposals of those seeking to lead the country.
“Every candidate must be willing to present their credentials, defend their records, and subject their vision to open scrutiny,” Obi said.
He argued that presidential candidates should travel across the country, engage directly with citizens and answer questions about how they intend to address Nigeria’s economic, security and social challenges.
“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,” he said.
Obi also pledged that he and his running mate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, would take their campaign directly to Nigerians and engage communities affected by insecurity, flooding and other challenges.
According to Obi, Nigeria is facing severe economic and humanitarian pressures, including widespread poverty, food insecurity, internal displacement, unemployment, weak infrastructure and high business costs.
He said an NDC government would shift Nigeria from consumption to production by investing in agriculture, manufacturing, technology, energy, construction, creative industries, and other productive sectors.
On agriculture, Obi promised to secure farming communities, improve irrigation, rural roads and storage, and give farmers better access to finance and markets. He also proposed stronger manufacturing and agro-processing to increase Nigeria’s exports of finished products.
Security would also be a major part of his administration’s plans, he said, with greater intelligence gathering, coordination among security agencies, stronger border management and increased use of technology.
Obi backed decentralised security management, saying Nigeria requires effective coordination between different levels of government while allowing security responses to better reflect local realities.
The former governor also identified education and healthcare as critical areas of investment, arguing that Nigeria’s large youth population could become an economic advantage if young people receive the education, skills and opportunities required to participate productively in the economy.
He said his administration would strengthen basic education, universities, and technical and vocational training, while improving primary healthcare, maternal and child health, and access to essential medicines.
Obi also pledged to reduce wasteful government spending and ensure that public revenue does not come at the expense of businesses and households.
“Reform is not the goal; better lives are,” he said, arguing that economic policies should ultimately be measured by whether Nigerians can afford food, education and healthcare and whether businesses can create jobs and expand.
He called for every region of Nigeria to become more productive by building on its economic strengths, ranging from agriculture and livestock in the North to manufacturing, technology, maritime services, mineral resources and the creative economy across other parts of the country.
Obi said the election should be determined by “capacity, competence, compassion, character, and commitment,” rather than ethnicity, religion, elitism or cronyism. He also called for peaceful campaigns and respect for voters’ eventual choice, saying Nigerians should continue demanding transparency, accountability, and results even after the election.
Obi pledged to campaign alongside Kwankwaso across the country, saying candidates seeking Nigeria’s highest office must show they can govern by meeting the people they hope to lead.
“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 said.
He said his campaign would seek to unite the country, address insecurity, reduce poverty and hunger, improve education and healthcare and pursue inclusive economic growth.
