Less than 48 hours to his planned move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has confirmed his intention to contest the 2027 presidential election.
 
But with an unusually cautious tone, he insists that political ambition must be subordinated to humility, service and the country’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.
 
With the infiltration of LP by politicians reportedly sponsored by rivals, and barring last-minute change of plans, Obi will tomorrow join the ADC with the Obidient Movement and his other supporters in government.
 
The former governor of Anambra State 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, disclosing that his only trouble 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 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, arguing that good governance is measurable and verifiable.
 
“I didn’t leave $1 million. I left $150 million,” he said, adding that if the funds had remained intact, their present 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.
 
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.