2027: ‘I’m confident Nigeria will have free, fair elections,’ Obi declares

Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has expressed confidence that Nigeria will witness free, fair and credible elections in 2027, insisting that the country can recover from its current economic and social challenges through accountable leadership and a productive economy.

Obi made the remarks on Saturday during the national convention of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), where he blamed the nation’s deepening hardship on systemic corruption and poor governance rather than lack of resources.

According to the former Anambra State governor, millions of Nigerians are battling rising poverty, unemployment and insecurity despite the country’s enormous human and natural potential.

“Nigeria is not a poor country. Nigeria has been looted into poverty, and we must change that reality,” Obi stated while addressing party members and supporters at the gathering.

The former presidential candidate also dismissed concerns over the possibility of electoral manipulation in the next general election, maintaining that Nigerians would freely decide their leaders in 2027.

He said those doubting the credibility of the coming polls should reconsider their position, stressing that the country was moving toward a more transparent democratic process.

Obi further called for an urgent transition from what he described as a consumption-driven economy to a production-based system capable of creating jobs, boosting industrial growth and improving living conditions across the country.

Citing the growing rate of multidimensional poverty and youth unemployment, he argued that Nigeria’s leadership priorities must shift toward economic productivity, education, healthcare and security.