ABUJA — The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said he will concede defeat in the 2027 presidential election if the exercise is free, fair and credible.
Obi made the declaration during an interview aired on Arise TV on Thursday, stressing that he would respect the decision of Nigerians if they chose another candidate at the polls.
“If the election is free, fair and credible, I will because it’s an election. It’s the people that would say who they want to serve, and I will respect the will of the people; that’s democracy,” he said.
However, Obi maintained his long-standing position that he won the 2023 presidential election, alleging that those responsible for conducting the poll were aware of what transpired.
“I did, and I will maintain that as long as I live that I won the 2023 election. Those who conducted it know the records; they know why there was a glitch and what happened,” he said.
‘Presidency Should Not Be Determined By Tribe, Religion’
Speaking on the growing debate over “turn-by-turn” politics and regional rotation of the presidency, Obi argued that Nigerians should choose their leaders based on competence rather than ethnicity or religion.
According to him, his qualifications and experience make him eligible to seek the presidency, regardless of his ethnic or religious background.
“Election should not be driven by tribe or religion. Today, in terms of qualification, I’m qualified to be president of Nigeria. I have the competence; I have been all over the world studying what it takes to be president of a country, and I know what I can do to turn around this country in the right direction,” he said.
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Obi Highlights Educational Background
The former Anambra State governor also pointed to his educational and professional training, mentioning institutions including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia and Kellogg.
“You can look at our qualification in terms of training. I’ve been to the best schools from all over the world, from Oxford to Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia, and Kellogg, and I’ve been everywhere, and every certificate I’m showing you is the way it is. If they find anyone wrong, I will drop from the race,” Obi said.
‘No Nigerian Born After 1960 Has Been President’
Obi also expressed concern over what he described as the prolonged absence of younger generations from Nigeria’s presidency.
He argued that despite repeated promises that young Nigerians are the leaders of tomorrow, no Nigerian born after independence in 1960 has gone on to become president.
“Since 1960, nobody born outside 1960 has been president of Nigeria. This is 66 years of independence; no other country in the world has had this happen to, and they tell youths they’re the leaders of tomorrow,” he said.
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Obi’s comments come as political parties and potential presidential contenders begin positioning themselves ahead of the 2027 general elections, with questions over electoral credibility, regional politics, youth participation and leadership competence expected to remain central to the political debate.
