Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has challenged all contenders in the 2027 presidential election to come before Nigerians, defend their records and subject their plans to public scrutiny, warning that no candidate should rely on proxies or surrogates during the campaign.
Obi made the call on Friday, August 21, 2026, at a press conference marking the formal commencement of his presidential and National Assembly campaign, days after the official opening of the campaign period on August 19.
He said Nigerians deserved the opportunity to assess the records, competence and proposals of those seeking to lead the country amid widespread economic hardship, insecurity and unemployment.
“Every candidate must be willing to present their credentials, defend their records, and subject their vision to open scrutiny,” Obi said.
He was more direct in challenging presidential contenders to engage voters personally.
“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.”
According to him, anyone seeking the presidency must have the courage to meet Nigerians, answer their questions and defend their record.
“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,” he said.
Obi said leadership required more than issuing statements from Abuja, arguing that presidential candidates needed to understand the realities facing communities across the country.
“True leadership requires presence and empathy,” he said. “No one can lead from the front without standing with communities across Nigeria devastated by banditry, criminality, terrorism, and flooding.”
He added: “You cannot truly lead people you are unwilling to visit, listen to, and understand.”
‘We will not delegate this duty’
Obi said his campaign would take a different approach, promising that he and his running mate would personally engage Nigerians throughout the country.
“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,” he said.
“We will not delegate this duty to proxies. We will answer questions, defend our record and character, and present our plan to rebuild Nigeria.”
He further argued that a candidate unwilling to travel across the country and interact with citizens would struggle to govern effectively.
“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,” Obi said.
