Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has challenged President Bola Tinubu and other contenders in the 2027 presidential election to defend their records and subject their policies to public scrutiny.
Obi made the call on Friday while addressing a world conference to mark the commencement of the 2027 presidential and National Assembly campaign season.
The former Anambra State governor said candidates seeking to lead Nigeria should not rely on proxies or political surrogates during the campaign, but should engage voters directly, answer their questions and defend their records.
He said the 2027 election would provide Nigerians with 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,” Obi said.
“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 effective leadership required candidates to engage directly with 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.
He pledged that he and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, would travel across the country to meet voters, hear their concerns and explain their plans.
“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 urged Nigerians to judge the contenders on “capacity, competence, compassion, character and commitment”, rather than ethnicity, religion, elitism or political patronage.
He also called on voters to examine the records and policy proposals of all candidates before deciding who should govern the country.
Obi said Nigeria was facing major economic and security challenges, including poverty, unemployment, insecurity, inadequate infrastructure and rising living costs.
He nevertheless argued that the country had sufficient human and natural resources to overcome its challenges if properly harnessed.
He said 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.
The former governor said his government would seek to move Nigeria from what he described as “consumption to production” by strengthening domestic manufacturing, processing agricultural commodities and creating conditions that would encourage businesses to invest and create jobs.
He also promised increased investment in education, healthcare and technical and vocational training, describing Nigeria’s large youth population as an economic opportunity rather than a burden.
On insecurity, Obi proposed stronger intelligence gathering, improved coordination among security agencies, better border management, technology-driven policing and decentralised security management.
He said insecurity had become an economic problem because farmers were unable to safely access their farms, children could not attend schools and businesses were struggling to operate in affected communities.
Obi said addressing insecurity would therefore require policies that not only protect lives and property but also restore economic activity in affected areas.
The NDC candidate also appealed to 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 should not end on election day, urging citizens to continue demanding transparency, accountability and measurable 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 presidential 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 what he described as a journey to reset Nigeria by uniting the country, strengthening security, promoting inclusive economic growth and moving the nation “from consumption to production”.
