Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, says Nigeria's political parties have abandoned ideology altogether. He made the comments during an appearance on Channels Television's Politics Today programme.
Obi argued that politicians facing corruption charges seem to escape accountability the moment they switch to the ruling All Progressives Congress. "The ideology of the APC would be that if you are corrupt and you move to the APC, you are no longer corrupt," he said.
He dismissed claims that President Bola Tinubu's endorsement by nearly all 36 state governors signals victory in the 2027 presidential election. According to Obi, governors backing the president doesn't mean ordinary citizens stand with him.
"The people in the states are not necessarily with them," Obi told reporters. "It is one thing for a governor to support the president and another for the people to support him."
The NDC candidate appealed to young Nigerians to demand free, fair and credible elections. He believes such a commitment would cement the president's democratic legacy.
Obi referenced former president Umaru Yar'Adua, who he said acknowledged flaws in the process that brought him to power. "He said, 'The process through which I came into office is faulty, and I am going to ensure that it does not happen again, even if I have to lose,'" Obi recalled.
He noted that elections following Yar'Adua's tenure were free and fair, allowing opposition figures like himself and Adams Oshiomhole to secure second terms. That era, he suggested, demonstrated what committed leadership could achieve.
Obi accused the government of deliberately destabilising opposition parties. He pointed to turmoil in the African Democratic Congress and the NDC as mirroring what happened in the Labour Party.
"The president said it, and it is happening," Obi stated. "When opposition parties are having problems, that is his wish."
He warned that this interference has extended to the judiciary. "Because of it, they are destroying the judiciary," he added.
What Nigerians truly need, according to Obi, are leaders with competency, capacity, compassion, character and commitment. He pledged to champion these values regardless of circumstances.
If elected president, Obi promised to strengthen opposition parties and remove restrictions that allow regulators to meddle in party affairs. He believes the electoral commission should focus solely on conducting elections.
"Political parties should be free to choose their candidates and decide who they want to present for election," he said. "That is the foundation of democracy."
