ABUJA, Nigeria — The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, announced on September 10, 2026, that he will concede defeat in the 2027 presidential election if the vote is free, fair, and credible.
Okay News reports that Peter Obi made the statement during a televised interview on Arise TV on Thursday, September 10, 2026, where he addressed his political future and the outcome of the previous presidential contest.
“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,” Peter Obi said.
However, Peter Obi maintained his claim regarding the previous general election held in Nigeria.
“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,” Peter Obi said.
Addressing the concept of a rotating presidency, Peter Obi stated that national elections should not be determined by ethnic or religious considerations.
“Election should not be driven by tribe or religion. Today, in terms of qualification, I’m qualified to be president of Nigeria. I have the competence; I have been all over the world studying what it takes to be president of a country, and I know what I can do to turn around this country in the right direction,” Peter Obi said.
Peter Obi referenced his educational background at global institutions, including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia, and Kellogg.
“You can look at our qualification in terms of training. I’ve been to the best schools from all over the world, from Oxford to Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia, and Kellogg, and I’ve been everywhere, and every certificate I’m showing you is the way it is. If they find anyone wrong, I will drop from the race,” Peter Obi said.
Peter Obi also commented on the demographic makeup of Nigeria‘s leadership since independence in 1960.
“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 to, and they tell youths they’re the leaders of tomorrow,” Peter Obi said.
