Peter Obi Challenges Tinubu, Atiku, Other 2027 Aspirants to Face Nigerians, Defend Their Records

• Peter Obi has challenged Tinubu and other 2027 presidential hopefuls to defend their records, engage Nigerians directly and subject their policies to public scrutiny ahead of the election.

Peter Obi has challenged President Bola Tinubu and other presidential hopefuls ahead of the 2027 election to come before Nigerians, defend their records and subject their plans for the country to public scrutiny.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress made the call while addressing a world conference on Friday to mark the commencement of the 2027 presidential and National Assembly campaign season.

Obi said anyone seeking to lead Nigeria must have the courage to engage directly with voters rather than relying on proxies and surrogates during the campaign.

He argued that the election would give Nigerians an opportunity to assess the competence, character, capacity and policy proposals of those seeking the presidency.

“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,” Obi said.

He said genuine leadership required candidates to interact directly with Nigerians, particularly communities affected by insecurity, terrorism, banditry, criminality and flooding.

“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.

“You cannot truly lead people you are unwilling to visit, listen to, and understand,” he said.

Obi pledged that he and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, would personally travel across the country to engage voters, listen to their concerns and explain their plans for Nigeria.

“Today, I make this clear commitment: my running mate and I will take our message directly to Nigerians. We will listen to them, understand their concerns, and engage them openly. We will not delegate this duty to proxies,” he said.

The NDC candidate said the 2027 election should be based on “capacity, competence, compassion, character and commitment” rather than ethnicity, religion, elitism or political patronage.

He urged Nigerians to carefully examine the records and proposals of all candidates before deciding who should govern the country.

Obi said Nigeria was facing serious economic and security challenges, including poverty, unemployment, insecurity, weak infrastructure and rising living costs. However, he maintained that the country had the human and natural resources needed to overcome the challenges.

He promised that his administration would prioritise production, investment and human capital development, with agriculture, manufacturing, technology, construction, energy and the creative industries serving as key drivers of economic growth.

On insecurity, Obi called for improved intelligence gathering, stronger coordination among security agencies, better border management, technology-driven policing and decentralised security management.

He described insecurity as an economic problem, noting that farmers were unable to safely access their farms, children could not attend schools and businesses were struggling to operate in affected communities.

Obi also pledged increased investment in education, healthcare and technical and vocational training, arguing that Nigeria’s large youth population should be viewed as an economic opportunity rather than a burden.

He said his administration would seek to move the country from “consumption to production” by strengthening local manufacturing, processing agricultural products and creating an environment conducive to investment and job creation.

The former Anambra State governor also urged political parties and their supporters to conduct the 2027 campaign peacefully.

“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 added that democracy did not end on election day, urging citizens to continue demanding transparency, accountability and results from elected officials.

Obi said his experience in the private sector and as governor of Anambra State had given him an understanding of public finance, institutional management and development.

He said he was entering the 2027 contest with the conviction that “Nigeria can work, and Nigeria must work.”

“Our task is to turn these possibilities into results. We have the credentials, experience, and record to collaborate with Nigerians on this transformative journey,” he said.

He concluded by pledging to begin the process of resetting Nigeria by uniting the country, strengthening security, pursuing inclusive economic growth and moving the nation from consumption to production.