The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has pledged to accept the outcome of the 2027 presidential election if the exercise is free, fair and credible.
Obi made the commitment during an interview aired on Arise TV on Thursday, saying he would respect the choice of Nigerians if they opted for another candidate.
He said, “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.”
However, Obi maintained that he won the 2023 presidential election, insisting that those who conducted the poll were aware of what transpired.
“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 based on regional considerations, Obi argued that Nigeria’s elections should be determined by competence rather than ethnicity or religion.
He said he was qualified to lead the country, citing his academic and professional training at institutions including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia and Kellogg.
Obi also criticised the lack of younger representation in Nigeria’s presidency, noting that no Nigerian born after 1960 has served as president since the country gained independence.
“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,” he said.