Peter Obi has challenged all presidential candidates to defend their records and subject their plans for Nigeria to public scrutiny.
Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), made the call on Friday at a press conference to kick off his campaign for the 2027 presidential election.
He said candidates seeking to lead the country must have the courage to engage Nigerians directly rather than send representatives to speak on their behalf.
“Every candidate must be willing to present their credentials, defend their records, and subject their vision to open scrutiny,” Obi said.
“No candidate should hide behind the high walls of power, send proxies or surrogates… and expect Nigerians to entrust them with leadership of their country.
“Every candidate that seeks the presidency must have the courage to come before the people, answer their questions, defend their records, and subject their vision to public scrutiny.”
Obi said effective leadership requires leaders to be physically present and empathetic, particularly in communities affected by insecurity and natural disasters.
The former Anambra governor added that one cannot lead from the front without standing with Nigerians devastated by banditry, criminality, terrorism, and flooding.
“You cannot truly lead a people you are unwilling to visit, listen to, and understand,” he said.
“Today, I make a clear commitment that I and Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso will take our message directly to Nigerians. We will listen to them, understand their concerns, and engage them openly. We will not delegate this process.
“We will answer the questions, defend our record and character, and present our plan to rebuild Nigeria.”
Obi said that any presidential candidate unwilling to travel across the country to engage directly with citizens would lack the capacity to govern.
He added that he is committed to commencing the journey of “resetting Nigeria by uniting it, securing it, on the path of economic and inclusive growth, and moving our country from consumption to production”.
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