The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has challenged President Bola Tinubu and other presidential hopefuls in the 2027 election to come out to defend their records and subject their programmes to public scrutiny.
The former Anambra State governor spoke while addressing a world conference on Friday marking the commencement of the 2027 presidential and National Assembly campaign season.
Obi said presidential candidates should not hide behind proxies and surrogates during the campaign, arguing that anyone seeking to lead the country must have the courage to meet voters directly, answer their questions and defend his record.
He said the election presented Nigerians with an opportunity to assess the competence, character, capacity and policy proposals of those seeking to govern 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.
“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 fought on the basis of “capacity, competence, compassion, character and commitment”, rather than ethnicity, religion, elitism or political patronage.
He urged Nigerians to scrutinise the records and proposals of all candidates before deciding who should govern the country.
Obi said the country was facing serious economic and security challenges, including widespread poverty, unemployment, insecurity, weak infrastructure and high living costs, but insisted that the country possessed the human and natural resources required to overcome them.
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 major drivers of economic growth.
On insecurity, the former governor called for improved intelligence gathering, stronger coordination among security agencies, better border management, technology-driven policing and decentralised security management.
He said insecurity had become an economic problem because farmers could not safely access their farms, children could not attend schools and businesses were unable to operate effectively in affected communities.
Obi also pledged greater investment in education, healthcare and technical and vocational training, arguing that Nigeria’s large youth population should be treated as an economic opportunity rather than a burden.
He said his administration would seek to move Nigeria from “consumption to production” by strengthening domestic manufacturing, processing agricultural produce and creating an environment where businesses could invest and create jobs.
The NDC candidate further 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 equipped him with 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.
The former governor concluded, “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.”
