Obi flags off campaign, challenges presidential candidates to face Nigerians, defend their records

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Party, officially commenced his 2027 presidential election campaign on Friday. During a press conference at his residence in Onitsha, Obi challenged other candidates to personally defend their records and answer questions about their ability to govern. He emphasized that candidates should not rely on proxies or surrogates during the campaign, stating that Nigerians deserve direct communication with the candidates seeking their mandate.

Obi highlighted the need for genuine leadership, which requires physical presence and empathy to understand the struggles faced by communities affected by banditry, criminality, terrorism, and flooding. He vowed to personally engage with Nigerians across the country, promising to listen to their concerns and engage them openly. Obi identified poverty, food insecurity, unemployment, weak infrastructure, unreliable electricity, insecurity, and high cost of doing business as major challenges facing the country.

He assured that Nigeria can overcome these challenges, citing the country's resources, talent, and enterprise. Obi pledged to shift Nigeria from a consumption-driven economy to one focused on production, investment, enterprise, and human-capital development. He committed to prioritizing agriculture, manufacturing, technology, construction, energy, creative industries, and services while creating an environment conducive to business investment and expansion.