The NDC presidential candidate says Nigerians deserve direct answers, open scrutiny and clear plans from all contenders ahead of the 2027 election

NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi on Friday, August 21, 2026, challenged President Bola Tinubu and other contenders for the 2027 presidency to defend their records, answer voters directly and subject their programmes to public scrutiny as Nigeria’s election campaign season formally got underway.

Also read: Peter Obi launches 2027 campaign with ‘Nigeria must work’ pledge

Speaking at a world conference to mark the commencement of the 2027 presidential and National Assembly campaign season, Obi said candidates seeking the country’s highest office should not rely on proxies or surrogates to communicate with voters.

He argued that Nigerians deserved the opportunity to question presidential hopefuls directly about their records, competence and plans for the country.

“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.

The former Anambra State governor said the election should give voters an opportunity to assess the capacity, competence, character and policy proposals of those seeking to govern Nigeria.

Obi also linked effective leadership to physical presence, particularly in communities confronting insecurity, poverty and natural disasters.

“True leadership requires presence and empathy,” he said, adding that a candidate could not genuinely lead people without visiting, listening to and understanding their experiences.

He pledged that he and his running mate, former Kano State governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, would personally take their campaign message across the country instead of delegating the task to political surrogates.

“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,” Obi said.

The Obi-Kwankwaso ticket was affirmed by the NDC at its special convention in Abuja in May, after the two opposition figures joined the party earlier that month.

The political realignment came after Obi and Kwankwaso withdrew from an opposition arrangement involving the African Democratic Congress, a development that reshaped efforts to build a unified challenge to Tinubu in 2027.

Reuters reported at the time that the split weakened the broader opposition alliance’s attempt to present a single challenger to the incumbent.

Obi said the 2027 contest should be centred on “capacity, competence, compassion, character and commitment”, rather than ethnicity, religion, elitism or political patronage.

He urged Nigerians to examine the records and proposals of all candidates before deciding who should receive their votes.

Beyond the political contest, Obi used the campaign launch to outline broad priorities for his proposed administration, including production, investment and human capital development.

He identified agriculture, manufacturing, technology, construction, energy and the creative industries as potential engines of economic growth, with the wider objective of moving Nigeria from consumption towards production.

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

He argued that insecurity was not only a security challenge but also an economic one because farmers were prevented from accessing their farms, children were unable to attend school and businesses were disrupted in affected communities.

The NDC candidate also promised greater attention to education, healthcare and technical and vocational training, describing Nigeria’s large youth population as an economic opportunity rather than a burden.

He further appealed for restraint during the campaign, urging political parties and their supporters to compete without violence and to respect the outcome of the election.

“We should debate ideas without hatred, compete without violence, and disagree without weakening the bonds that unite us,” Obi said.

The campaign launch comes as the NDC continues to strengthen its national structure ahead of the 2027 polls.

Earlier this month, Obi and Kwankwaso met with the party’s governorship candidates from Bauchi, Borno and Sokoto states to discuss campaign coordination and electoral preparedness.

Obi maintained that democracy should extend beyond election day, with citizens continuing to demand transparency, accountability and measurable results from elected officials.

He said his experience in the private sector and as Anambra governor had prepared him for the demands of public administration, while presenting his campaign as a transformative effort to reset the country.

“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 said.

Also read: Peter Obi raises red flag over Nigeria’s democratic crisis

With the 2027 campaign now underway, Obi’s challenge places direct engagement, accountability and policy scrutiny at the centre of his pitch to Nigerian voters, while setting the tone for what is expected to be a closely contested presidential race.