The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has challenged President Bola Tinubu and other contenders in the 2027 presidential election to come before Nigerians and defend their records and policy proposals.
Obi made the call on Friday while speaking at a world conference held to mark the commencement of the 2027 presidential and National Assembly campaign season.
The former Anambra State governor said candidates seeking the presidency should not rely on proxies or surrogates during the campaign, insisting that those asking Nigerians for their votes must be prepared to engage directly with the electorate.
According to him, voters deserve the opportunity to question presidential candidates about their records, plans and capacity to govern.
“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.
He urged all presidential hopefuls to appear before voters, answer their questions and subject their programmes to public scrutiny.
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“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,” he added.
Obi said the 2027 election should give Nigerians the opportunity to assess the competence, character, capacity and policy proposals of the candidates before making their choice.
The NDC candidate said effective leadership required politicians to interact directly with the people, particularly communities affected by insecurity, terrorism, banditry, criminality and flooding
He said leaders could not fully understand the challenges confronting Nigerians without visiting affected communities and listening to their experiences.
“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,” Obi said.
He also pledged to embark on a nationwide campaign with his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, promising that both of them would personally engage voters instead of leaving the responsibility 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. We will not delegate this duty to proxies,” he said.
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 policy proposals of all candidates before deciding who should govern the country.
The former Anambra governor identified poverty, unemployment, insecurity, weak infrastructure and the rising cost of living among the major challenges facing the country.
He, however, maintained that Nigeria had the human and natural resources required to overcome its difficulties.
On the economy, Obi said his proposed administration would prioritise production, investment and human capital development
He listed agriculture, manufacturing, technology, construction, energy and the creative industry as sectors that could drive economic growth and create jobs
He also called for stronger intelligence gathering, improved coordination among security agencies, better border management, technology-driven policing and decentralised security management to tackle insecurity.
According to him, insecurity has become an economic challenge because farmers are unable to access their farms safely, children are prevented from attending school and businesses cannot operate effectively in affected communities.
Obi also promised greater investment in education, healthcare and technical and vocational training, describing Nigeria’s youthful population as an economic opportunity rather than a burden.
He said his administration would seek to move the country from consumption to production by strengthening local manufacturing, processing agricultural products and creating an environment conducive to investment and job creation.
The NDC candidate further appealed to political parties and their supporters to ensure that the 2027 campaign was conducted 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.
Obi said democratic participation should continue beyond election day, urging citizens to demand transparency, accountability and results from elected officials.
Reflecting on his experience in the private sector and as governor of Anambra State, he said his background had equipped him with knowledge 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.
Obi concluded by pledging to begin what he described as the process of resetting Nigeria by uniting the country, improving security, promoting inclusive economic growth and moving the nation from consumption to production.