11, September 2026_
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Mr. Peter Obi, has said the 2027 elections will be totally different from 2023 because he and his team took things for granted by trusting the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.
Obi spoke on Thursday during an exclusive interview on Arise Television, where he alleged that the Mahmood Yakubu-led INEC worked for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2023 despite promising a free and fair election.
Hei said his team believed what INEC said it would do in 2023, but this time they will only trust the commission by doing the right thing themselves. He disclosed plans to set up an independent result monitoring system that will receive results directly from polling units and compare them with what INEC collates and announces, stressing that it will not be a parallel INEC but a dual transmission system where results go to the official INEC portal and also to a public platform.
The NDC Presidential Candidate maintained that he won the 2023 presidential election despite INEC declaring Bola Tinubu winner, saying those who conducted the election know the records and why there was a glitch, but that he has decided to focus on 2027.
On his statement in Port Harcourt that he was ready to die for his votes, Obi said it was symbolic and in response to supporters who said they were ready to die defending their votes.
On the proposed opposition coalition, Obi dismissed reports that he vowed never to accept a vice-presidential slot, saying he never said so and no such offer has been made. He said any alliance decision must be taken through consultations within the parties involved, not by individual politicians, likening it to two corporations merging.
Obi also faulted President Bola Tinubu’s leadership style, alleging that the President has not spent three consecutive nights in any state outside Lagos and Abuja, and criticising his foreign holidays.
He said if elected, he will be fully in charge, directly accountable to Nigerians, and will spend his holidays in Nigeria while visiting states affected by insecurity.
On insecurity, Obi said it will be his first priority. He said he will not sit in Abuja when there is a problem in Zamfara or Benue, but will visit affected areas, appoint competent security chiefs in his first week, support state police and reject ransom payment, adding that security forces must enter the bush to rescue kidnapped victims even if there are casualties.
On fuel subsidy, he ruled out a return to the old regime which he said was enmeshed in corruption and criminality, arguing that removing corruption will reveal whether subsidy truly exists and that regular crude supply to local refineries will reduce pump price. He rejected turn-by-turn presidency, saying elections should be based on competence, and reaffirmed his one-term pledge.
Despite his stance on 2023, Obi said he will accept defeat in 2027 if the election is free, fair and credible, because he will respect the will of the people. He promised a physically present presidency, noting that as Anambra governor he visited all 180 communities in the state and will visit every state at least once a year as president.
