The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has maintained that he won the 2023 presidential election, but said he would concede defeat in 2027 if the election is free, fair and credible.
Obi stated this in an interview with Arise News on Thursday, saying he would respect the decision of Nigerians if they chose another candidate.
“If the election is free, fair and credible, I will because it’s an election. It’s the people that would say who they want to serve, and I will respect the will of the people; that’s democracy,” he said.
However, Obi reiterated his claim that he won the 2023 presidential election, insisting that those who conducted the poll knew what happened.
“I did, and I will maintain that as long as I live that I won the 2023 election. Those who conducted it know the records; they know why there was a glitch and what happened,” he said.
Asked about the idea of a “turn-by-turn” presidency, Obi said elections should not be determined by tribe or religion.
He said he was qualified to become president based on his competence and experience, adding that he had studied at several institutions around the world to understand what it takes to lead a country.
Obi also highlighted his educational background, citing Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia and Kellogg among the institutions he had attended.
“You can look at our qualification in terms of training. I’ve been to the best schools from all over the world, from Oxford to Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia, and Kellogg,” he said.
He challenged anyone with concerns about the authenticity of his certificates to raise them, saying he would withdraw from the presidential race if any of them were found to be false.
Obi also criticised the lack of youth representation in Nigeria’s presidency, noting that no person born after 1960 had served as president since independence.
“Since 1960, nobody born outside 1960 has been president of Nigeria. This is 66 years of independence; no other country in the world has had this happen to, and they tell youths they’re the leaders of tomorrow,” he said.