Ahead of the 2027 presidential and general elections, the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has screened Peter Obi as a presidential aspirant for the upcoming poll.
Obi arrived at the party’s national secretariat shortly after Senator Sam Egwu, chairman of the screening committee and former governor of Ebonyi State, entered the venue for the exercise.
Addressing journalists after the screening session, which lasted over two hours, the former Anambra State governor dismissed claims that he had become the party’s consensus presidential candidate. He maintained that the process was still open and democratic, saying, “How can it be based on consensus? The party opened up the expression of interest forms for people to buy. I bought the form. As the party said, I’m the only one who expressed interest. That’s it.”
The former governor also praised the NDC for carrying out what he described as a transparent screening exercise. “At NDC, we are choosing to do things properly. When we say there is going to be a screening, there is going to be a screening. That is democracy in action,” he said.
Responding to suggestions that former President Goodluck Jonathan could join the presidential contest, Obi said his attention was not on possible rivals but on improving the country. “Democracy is about people offering themselves for service and being voted for. I’m not in any way going around looking for who is contesting. I’m concentrating on how to build a better Nigeria,” he stated.
Obi explained that his main focus ahead of the 2027 elections is to create a united, safe, and prosperous Nigeria through inclusive governance rooted in the constitutional principle of federal character.
He stressed that the country must become secure enough for citizens to move freely without fear and for families to stop living in constant anxiety over insecurity and killings.
“We want to see a country where mothers no longer fear when their children go to school. We want Nigerians to travel all over the country without fear,” he said.
The former governor further highlighted the need to tackle hunger, poverty, and corruption, emphasizing that public resources should serve all Nigerians rather than a select few.
“So many Nigerians go to bed not knowing where the next meal will come from. That must change. We must stop turning public assets into private wealth,” Obi added.