The presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) for the upcoming 2027 presidential elections, His Eminence, Peter Obi, alleges plot by forces allegedly close to government to eliminate him before the January 2027 presidential contest
By Udoka Ekeleme, Abuja
His Eminence, Peter Obi has raised the alarm that forces are after his life seeking to terminate it as a way to prevent him from contesting in the 2027 presidential election. The presidential hopeful for the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), in the upcoming 2027 elections, Obi, raised the alarm over his safety and the systematic frustration of his businesses, claiming he “might not even be alive” to contest the next poll.
Speaking during an interview on With Chude, hosted by media personality, Chude Jideonwo, and shared on X, Obi painted a grim picture of the challenges facing opposition figures in Nigeria.
When pressed on whether he would definitively be on the ballot in 2027, Obi responded bluntly, “Not even a candidate. I might not even be alive. I’m telling you. Every single thing I do for a living, this government is frustrating it. Deliberately so. Everything. So, there is even a possibility, if they have the opportunity, I will not be alive.”
While the former Anambra State governor clarified that he wasn’t levelling a formal, direct accusation, he insisted his daily life is plagued by targeted obstruction. He noted that while authorities avoid direct confrontation, their “hand” is visible in the routine hurdles he faces.
Obi said the hostility was not unique to him. He alleged a broader, coordinated clampdown on dissenting voices. “They are attacking everybody who is in opposition personally,” Obi stated, adding that he has even been denied the basic entitlements due to him.
To illustrate his point, Obi shared a recent airport encounter where officials allegedly locked his vehicle while ignoring other parked cars. When he identified himself, the officer in charge reportedly dismissed him.
“But I said, ‘Look at the cars of other people.’ And you could see them talking to each other, as if, ‘Who is this one?’” he said.
Obi also claimed that acquaintances now avoid him in public out of fear of retribution, revealing some supporters have quietly asked him to skip their family milestones.
“I have people send me invitations and say, ‘My son, my daughter is getting married, but please don’t come,’” he said.
In reaction to Obi’s alarm, former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has warned that the true measure of any democracy is not how comfortably those in power wield authority, but how safely those outside power can exercise their constitutional rights, declaring that “nothing must happen” to Peter Obi and renewing his call for the immediate release of Nasir El-Rufai.
Warning that history has never been kind to governments that elevate political combat above the welfare and security of their citizens, the ADC presidential candidate invoked a proverb to drive home his point.
“Our elders say, ‘When the drums of injustice beat for your neighbour, do not dance, for tomorrow they may beat for you.’ Every Nigerian, regardless of political affiliation, has a stake in defending the democratic space.
“Nothing must happen to Peter Obi. Release Mallam Nasir El-Rufai. Bring home every abducted schoolchild, every teacher and every innocent Nigerian still languishing in the hands of kidnappers. Stop chasing political opponents and start confronting the crises that are bleeding our nation,” he said.
Atiku added that history would not remember how fiercely a government fought its critics, but whether it protected its citizens, upheld justice, rescued the vulnerable and preserved the democracy entrusted to its care.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku stressed that the safety of every opposition leader is a constitutional obligation of the Nigerian state and a test of its democratic credentials.
The statement read in part, “Nothing must happen to Peter Obi. An injury to one is an injury to all. When one opposition leader is intimidated, every opposition voice is diminished. When one citizen begins to fear because of his political beliefs, democracy itself becomes the casualty.
“The Presidency must understand that democratic leadership demands composure, not contempt. When a citizen, particularly an opposition figure, voices concerns about the state of the nation or his personal safety, the first duty of government is to reassure through statesmanship, facts and responsible conduct—not through insults. Democracies are strengthened by reasoned engagement, not by invective. A government that answers every criticism with abuse projects insecurity, not confidence.
“The opposition is not the enemy of Nigeria. Poverty is the enemy. Hunger is the enemy. Insecurity is the enemy. Corruption is the enemy. Kidnapping is the enemy. The daily bloodletting across our communities is the enemy. A government that devotes more energy to attacking its critics than confronting these existential challenges has confused political survival with the purpose of governance.
“There are schoolchildren and teachers still waiting to be reunited with their families. There are countless innocent Nigerians languishing in the camps of kidnappers. These are the emergencies that deserve the full machinery of government—not endless political sparring with opposition figures.
