Former Anambra State governor and Labour Party presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has confirmed his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election, but with an unusually cautious tone, insisting that political ambition must be subordinated to humility, service and Nigeria’s collective survival.

“Yes, I will be on the ballot in 2027,” Obi said during an extended interaction on X (formerly Twitter) Spaces. “But I am not God. Tomorrow is not guaranteed.”

The remark set the tone for a wide-ranging conversation in which Obi blended personal reflection with policy positions, portraying his political aspiration less as a quest for power than as an extension of a long-held belief that Nigeria can still work if leadership choices are guided by competence, integrity and compassion.

Obi was emphatic that he was not desperate for office, urging supporters to reject insults, aggression and political hostility in his name.

“I am not desperate to be president. I am desperate to see Nigeria work,” he said, warning that arrogance, name-calling and intimidation only deepen national divisions.

He described his personal life as modest and stable, saying public abuse no longer unsettles him. What troubles him, he said, is Nigeria’s declining security and shrinking national confidence.

“What should worry us is that people can no longer travel freely across this country,” Obi said, recalling a time when Nigerians drove from one region to another without fear, booked hotels years ahead and attended trade fairs across the country.

Positioning his past record as his principal campaign credential, Obi challenged critics to identify any instance of personal enrichment during his time in office. He recalled leaving $150 million in savings for Anambra State, arguing that good governance is measurable and verifiable.

“I didn’t leave one million dollars. I left 150 million dollars,” he said, adding that if the funds had remained intact, their current value would surprise many Nigerians.

Obi cited multiple examples of personal restraint in public office, including declining luxury vehicles both as a bank chairman and as governor, choosing instead to direct resources towards strengthening state institutions.

During his first four years as governor, he said, he drove a Peugeot 406 while ensuring that judges, magistrates and senior civil servants—some of whom previously rode motorcycles to work—were provided official vehicles.

“These things are not pretence,” he said. “This is how I live.”

He also recounted reallocating land initially assigned to him to a retiring civil servant who had worked for 35 years without owning a home, describing the decision as symbolic of the values Nigeria urgently needs.
Coalitions with conditions

On opposition realignments and coalition talks ahead of 2027, Obi adopted a firm but cautious stance, stating that he would only participate in alliances rooted in public interest.

“I will only be part of a coalition that is committed to forming a government that will serve the people and change the narrative of Nigeria,” he said, adding that he had prayed not to be drawn into power arrangements driven by personal ambition.

He stressed that he has never joined political groups based on religion, ethnicity or private gain, insisting that competence and character must remain the basis of leadership.

“If a coalition is not for the people, I will not be part of it,” he said.

Obi rejected allegations of ethnic or religious bias, citing his record of cross-regional collaboration in public service and the private sector.

All his commissioners of police as Anambra governor, he noted, were from Northern states, including Kano, Taraba and Adamawa, while his professional teams over the years were drawn from across the federation.

“My ADC as governor was from Kano. My wife is from Akwa Ibom. I have worked with Nigerians from everywhere,” he said.

He warned that those who thrive on ethnic and religious division do so out of fear of unity, arguing that poverty and insecurity do not discriminate by region or faith.

On economic policy, Obi reiterated his long-held opposition to taxation policies that ignore productivity and widespread hardship.

“We cannot tax poverty. Tax is a function of productivity,” he said. “You cannot withdraw from an account where nothing was deposited.”

With over 130 million Nigerians living in poverty and millions of young people unemployed, Obi argued that job creation and economic expansion must precede aggressive taxation.

Clarifying controversies around past elections, Obi explained that supporting a candidate does not equate to managing their campaign, stressing that candidates remain accountable for their own strategies.

He contrasted this with his own presidential campaign, which he said involved extensive nationwide engagement.

“When it is my campaign, I do it my way,” he said.

He also addressed accusations of tribalism during his tenure as governor, dismissing claims that anyone was ever asked to leave Anambra under his administration as false.

Despite confirming his 2027 intention, Obi repeatedly returned to the theme of uncertainty and humility, reminding listeners that political ambition must bow to larger moral obligations.

“I am not God,” he said. “Tomorrow is not guaranteed.”

He appealed for prayers, discipline and responsible support rather than abuse or confrontation, stressing that leadership is not about threats or insults but about service.

“Nigerians must stop celebrating arrogance and bad behaviour as strength,” Obi said. “What we need is competence, compassion, commitment and character.”

As the 2027 race slowly takes shape, Obi’s message stood out less for its certainty of victory than for its insistence that Nigeria’s future will ultimately depend not on any single candidate, but on whether the country chooses unity, hard work and ethical leadership over division and hostility.