2027: Obi promises to accept defeat if election is free, fair and credible

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has declared that he will accept the outcome of the 2027 presidential election and concede defeat if the election is conducted freely, fairly and credibly.

Speaking during an interview broadcast on Arise TV on Thursday, Obi said the choice of the Nigerian people must be respected in a democratic system.

“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.

Despite his position on the 2027 election, Obi reiterated his claim that he won the 2023 presidential poll, saying those responsible for conducting the election were aware of what occurred.

“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.

Addressing the concept of a “turn-by-turn” presidency, Obi argued that Nigeria’s elections should be based on competence rather than tribe or religion.

“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.

The former Anambra State governor also pointed to his academic credentials, mentioning Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia and Kellogg among the institutions he had attended.

“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,” he said.

Obi also raised concerns about the age of Nigeria’s political leadership, observing that no person born after 1960 had become president since the country gained independence.

“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,” Obi said.

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