The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has officially declared his readiness to lead a hands-on, direct-engagement campaign across all geopolitical zones of the country.
He said this while marking the official commencement of the electioneering season for the 2027 general elections, Obi emphasized that the gravity of Nigeria’s current socio-economic and security challenges leaves no room for political distance or leadership by proxy.
Obi’s statement comes as political parties launch their official campaigns across the federation, setting the tone for what promises to be a crucial electoral contest.
The NDC candidate insisted that voters deserve leaders who are willing to interface directly with local communities, face tough questions, and subject their past governance records to rigorous public scrutiny.
By challenging his opponents to abandon elite surrogates and join him on the campaign trail, the former Anambra State governor established candidate presence and open accountability as fundamental prerequisites for leading the nation.
“No candidate should hide behind the high walls of power, send proxies or surrogates to the hustings, and expect Nigerians to entrust them with the leadership of the country. Every candidate seeking the presidency must have the courage to come before the people, answer their questions, defend their records, and subject their vision to public scrutiny.
“True leadership requires presence and empathy. No one can lead from the front without standing with communities across Nigeria devastated by banditry, criminality, terrorism, and flooding. You cannot truly lead people you are unwilling to visit, listen to, and understand.
“Today, I make this clear commitment: my running mate and I will take our message directly to Nigerians. We will listen to them, understand their concerns, and engage them openly. We will not delegate this duty to proxies.
“We will answer questions, defend our record and character, and present our plan to rebuild Nigeria. Any presidential candidate who lacks the resolve to travel across the country, meet the people, and respond to their questions lacks the capacity to govern it.
“As my team and I travel across the country, we will listen to Nigerians, understand their needs and concerns, and assure them that we have the competence, character, and compassion to lead and reset Nigeria for the benefit of all.
“Finally, the 2027 election must be guided by capacity, competence, compassion, character, and commitment. Our campaign will focus on the urgent concerns of Nigerians and not on ethnicity or religion. Nigerians must reject and disregard any campaign driven by propaganda, ethnicity, religion, elitism, or cronyism.”
