Obi: I Won 2023 Election, But I’ll Concede in 2027 If Poll Is Credible

PETER OBI

By Frontline Reporters

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has declared that he will concede defeat in the 2027 presidential election if the exercise is free, fair and credible.

Obi, who made the declaration in an interview aired on Arise TV on Thursday, said he would respect the decision of Nigerians if they chose another candidate, stressing that accepting the will of the electorate is fundamental to democracy.

“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,” Obi said.

However, he maintained his long-standing position that he won the 2023 presidential election, alleging that those who conducted the poll were aware of what transpired 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” arrangement in the presidency, Obi rejected the idea of determining political leadership on the basis of ethnicity or religion. He argued that presidential elections should be based on competence, qualifications and the ability to deliver good governance.

Obi also highlighted his educational background, citing institutions including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia and Kellogg. He challenged anyone with contrary information about his credentials to produce evidence, saying he would withdraw from the presidential race if any of his certificates were found to be false.

The former Anambra State governor further criticised the lack of generational change in Nigeria’s presidency, lamenting that no Nigerian born after independence in 1960 had occupied the office of president.

“Since 1960, nobody born outside 1960 has been president of Nigeria. This is 66 years of independence; no other country in the world has had this happen, and they tell youths they’re the leaders of tomorrow,” Obi said.