By Stephen Simon
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said he will concede defeat in the 2027 presidential election if the poll is free, fair and credible.
Obi stated this in an interview aired on Arise TV, stressing that he would respect the decision of Nigerians if they chose another candidate at the election.
“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.
However, Obi maintained his position that he won the 2023 presidential election, insisting that those who conducted the poll were aware of what happened during the exercise.
“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.
On calls for a “turn-by-turn” presidency, Obi argued that Nigeria’s elections should not be determined by ethnic or religious considerations, but by competence and the ability of candidates to govern effectively.
He said he was qualified to lead the country, citing his experience and educational exposure, including studies at institutions such as Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia and Kellogg.
Obi also criticised the limited representation of younger Nigerians at the highest political level, arguing that no Nigerian born after 1960 had served as president since independence. “This is 66 years of independence; no other country in the world has had this happen to them, and they tell youths they’re the leaders of tomorrow,” he said.
