The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s leadership, claiming that he lacks the energy and capacity required to govern Nigeria as the country grapples with mounting challenges.
Obi also warned against attempts to manipulate the 2027 general elections, declaring that his party would resist any move to undermine the electoral process.
He made the remarks on Monday at a dinner in Abuja organised to present certificates of return to the NDC’s candidates for the 2027 general elections.
The former Anambra State governor accused the Tinubu administration of failing to address the country’s challenges, arguing that Nigerians were yearning for a change in leadership.
“Everything is collapsing. Nigerians are looking for new leadership, and I can assure you that we will get it. Today, President Tinubu has led a government that lacks competence, capacity, compassion and commitment to deal with Nigeria’s problems.
“Above all, President Tinubu does not have the energy that can solve power for Nigeria today. And he must go. He needs to go home.
“Nigerians cannot be governed with his energy of today. The people need a President who will be available, and that will always be there,” Obi said.
Obi Warns Against 2027 Election Rigging
Obi called for a free, fair and credible election, warning those considering electoral manipulation that the NDC would oppose any attempt to subvert the process.
“Let it be known that if anybody rigs 2027, we will rig him. We want a free, fair and credible election. Don’t give anybody an excuse. We need to make this country work. Nigerians should be proud to travel anywhere,” he said.
The NDC presidential candidate also condemned the alleged harassment of his party’s supporters and other Nigerians, cautioning that his preference for peaceful conduct should not be mistaken for weakness.
“So, go out and campaign. And for those who are harassing our supporters and innocent Nigerians, let me warn you again. Humility is not weakness. It is a virtue. Good behaviour is not weakness. Nobody has a monopoly on rascality,” Obi said.
He appealed to political actors to stop intimidation and assured supporters that he would campaign across the country ahead of the elections.
“I am warning and pleading with everybody that enough is enough. I will go to every state and campaign in every Senatorial zone there because we are Nigerians,” he added.
NDC Chairman Warns Against Anti-Party Activities
Meanwhile, the NDC National Chairman, Moses Cleopas, cautioned party members against activities that could undermine the party’s candidates in the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the party’s National Executive Committee meeting on Monday, Cleopas insisted that supporters of Obi must also work towards the success of other NDC candidates contesting various elective positions.
He warned that members who supported Obi’s presidential ambition but backed opposition candidates in other elections could face disciplinary action.
According to him, unity and loyalty would be crucial to the success of the Obi-Kwankwaso ticket, adding that internal divisions could weaken the party’s ability to secure the legislative support required to implement its policies.
He said, “If you are supporting Peter Obi as the presidential candidate, you cannot say, ‘ Because I don’t like the face of my governorship candidate, I will back the one from an opposition party. How do you then respect Obi when he becomes the President of this country? It had to be NDC from top to bottom.
“So, if we want a stable government, because this is democracy, don’t you know that our presidential and vice-presidential candidates need the majority, if not all, of the National Assembly for our party? Otherwise, how will they get the Senate President and House of Representatives Speaker of their choice?
“That is the reason why we must support our party candidates from top to bottom to get the Nigeria we want.”
Cleopas maintained that winning the presidency without substantial representation in the National Assembly could hinder the party’s ability to implement its programmes.
He urged members to prioritise collective interests over personal preferences, insisting that candidates who emerged under the NDC platform deserved the support of party members.
Cleopas added, “Therefore, I admonished all our party members, chapter chairmen, NEC members, and leaders of our party that NDC unity should be our priority. As we leave this NEC and return to our base, you may not like the face of a candidate, but you must accept that he is your party’s candidate. You don’t have a choice.
“Let us work together so that we can have the Nigeria of our dream under the Presidency of Mr Peter Gregory Obi and Dr Rabiu Kwankwaso.”
He further warned that members who worked against the party’s candidates could face sanctions under its constitution.
“When the party is heading in one direction, and you are going in the other direction, that is called anti-party activity. And when it is clearly established, the constitution has clearly stipulated what should be done. As state managers, you should know how to take it up to,” he said.
The party’s national leader, Seriake Dickson, said the NDC was established to provide an alternative political platform and prevent Nigeria from becoming a one-party state under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Dickson accused the APC of failing to fulfil its promises on national security and the fight against corruption. He also criticised the party’s economic policies, arguing that the country’s economic situation had worsened despite promises of improvement.
Speaking at the Abuja dinner, he said the NDC was created to challenge what he described as the direction in which the APC had taken the country.
“The main reason we formed this platform is to ensure that Nigeria does not become a one-party state. And by the grace of God, that prayer will be answered,” Dickson said.
He explained that the party’s formation was driven by its disagreements with the APC’s governance record since it assumed power in 2015.
“We disagree because the APC promised to secure Nigeria. Have they secured it? We disagree with the direction they have taken Nigeria because they promised to fight corruption since 2015. Have they done it?” he asked.
Dickson also criticised the APC’s handling of the economy, claiming that its policies had failed to deliver the economic recovery promised to Nigerians.
“They even vowed that they were going to turn around the economy. They have turned around the economy, clearly. But it is for the worse. They have taken our economy from top to bottom,” he said.
The NDC leader expressed optimism about the party’s participation in the 2027 elections, describing its formation as an effort to provide Nigerians with an alternative political platform.
He also praised the party’s candidates, describing them as the strongest among those contesting the forthcoming elections based on his interactions with them during the party’s formation over the past year.
“I must say, as someone who interacted with every one of you in the past year, we did nothing else other than to sit and build this party brick by brick. Based on that privileged knowledge, I can say without fear of contradiction that you are indeed the best of all candidates who are contesting elections.
“You are the best candidates. I thank you all for your belief and support. That’s the way politics goes. You are also equal partakers of this vision, co-owners of this project,” Dickson said.
He urged the candidates to remain committed to the party’s objectives, expressing confidence that Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, could deliver the change the party was promising.
“All of us have collectively defied all odds to take this uncommon, difficult path. Today we are not alone. We can now see on the horizon the change that we all desire and that a new Nigeria that is possible will be ushered in by our dear presidential candidate and his running mate,” he added.
The NDC also disclosed that it generated N8.53bn in revenue within eight months of its registration by the Independent National Electoral Commission, with N6.13bn remaining after expenditures of N2.40bn.
The party’s National Treasurer, Dr Peter Onigah, revealed the figures on the sidelines of its third National Executive Committee meeting after presenting the financial statement.
The reported figures show that the party retained approximately 72 per cent of its total inflows as it prepares to expand its structures and intensify political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.
Onigah said the party was committed to transparency, prudent spending and accountability, adding that a detailed breakdown of its transactions would be provided as it approaches the end of its first accounting year.
“We have been very prudent. Our chief is made up of technocrats, people who are experienced and people who have different capacities,” he said.
He attributed the party’s financial management to the experience of its officials, the guidance of its national leaders and the National Working Committee.
The treasurer said the leadership had avoided exhausting the party’s available resources and assured members that all contributions would be properly accounted for.
He also appealed to Nigerians and party supporters to contribute financially, explaining that the NDC was still building its structures and had yet to control government at any level.
“As a new party, we don’t have people in government yet. All of us are outside the government. So we need to contribute together and ensure that our party will prevail and achieve the desired objectives,” he said.
Onigah urged supporters to help finance the party’s programmes and political activities as preparations for the next general elections intensify.
Also speaking, Senator Victor Umeh commended the party’s leadership for presenting its financial statement and retaining more than N6bn from its reported revenue.
Umeh described the remaining funds as seed money for future activities, while acknowledging that the amount would not be sufficient to cover all the party’s organisational and campaign needs.
He said the funds were raised through contributions from party members rather than external sources, adding that more resources would be required to finance campaigns and other programmes.
The senator encouraged members and supporters to explore ways of sustaining the party financially. He also urged the leadership to consider established party-financing practices, including contributions from state chapters and other stakeholders during election and nomination periods.
NDC Inaugurates National Secretariat, Campaign Council
In another development, the NDC inaugurated its newly acquired national secretariat in Abuja on Monday as part of its preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The unveiling took place in Jabi, Federal Capital Territory, shortly after an emergency meeting of the party’s National Executive Committee.
Those present included Cleopas, Dickson, Umeh, who represents Anambra Central in the National Assembly, and the party’s Rivers State governorship candidate, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, alongside other party leaders and members.
The newly acquired facility is expected to serve as the party’s presidential campaign headquarters as it steps up preparations for the elections.
The party also inaugurated its National Campaign Council, with Dickson appointed chairman and Obi named co-chairman.
Cleopas was appointed vice-chairman, while the party’s vice-presidential candidate, Kwankwaso, became co-vice-chairman.
Other appointees include former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babachir Lawal, as chairman of the National Advisory Council; former Deputy Senate President, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege; former presidential candidate, Pat Utomi; and former National Secretary of the Congress for Progressive Change, Buba Galadima.
The NDC National Secretary, Ikenna Enekweizu, was named secretary of the campaign council, while Ibrahim Abdulkarim was appointed Director-General.
The NDC was registered by INEC on February 5, 2026, following a court order issued by the Federal High Court in Lokoja, Kogi State.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), announced the party’s registration during the commission’s quarterly consultative meeting with political party leaders in Abuja.
The registration followed a judgment in Suit No. FHC/LKJ/CS/49/2025, Barr Takori Mohammed Sanni & Ors v. INEC, which directed the electoral commission to register the party.
Since its registration, the NDC has positioned itself as an opposition platform ahead of the 2027 elections.
However, the Obi-Kwankwaso Movement, popularly known as the OK Movement, has criticised the NDC over the inauguration of its National Campaign Council, questioning the party’s readiness for the 2027 elections and claiming to have a stronger grassroots structure.
The movement’s Director-General, John Ughulu, said the NDC had delayed organising its campaign machinery, arguing that political ambition alone could not guarantee electoral success without effective grassroots mobilisation and coordination.
In a statement made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday, the movement claimed it had completed the necessary groundwork while other groups were only beginning to organise.
Ughulu predicted that some individuals appointed to the NDC’s campaign council might eventually seek the movement’s support and mobilisation network.
He said, “The funny part of this list is that 90 per cent of the people on it will still come knocking on the doors of the OK Movement to beg for the very structure they have failed to build themselves.”
Ughulu added, “With less than three months to the general elections, they are only just announcing their Presidential Campaign Council. What exactly have they been doing all this time? Where is the structure? Where is the strategy? Where is the machinery required to prosecute a serious national election?”
The criticism comes amid growing disagreements between the NDC and the OK Movement over the movement’s organisational independence and its role in the campaign for Obi and Kwankwaso ahead of the 2027 general elections.
