By Annette Ikponmwonba | September 10, 2026

Keypoints

• Peter Obi says he will concede defeat in the 2027 presidential election if the poll is free, fair and credible.

• The NDC presidential candidate says Nigerians have the right to choose their leaders and he will respect their decision.

• Obi maintains that he won the 2023 presidential election but alleges that the results were manipulated.

• He insists that presidential leadership should be based on competence and qualification rather than tribe or religion.

• Obi also called for greater youth representation in Nigeria’s leadership.

Main Story

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has promised to concede defeat in the 2027 presidential election if the poll is free, fair and credible, Obi said Nigerians have the right to determine who governs them and that he would respect the outcome of a genuinely democratic election.

The former Anambra State Governor made the statement on Thursday during an interview with Arise News, “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 maintained that he won the 2023 presidential election, alleging that the results were manipulated, “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.

The Issues

Obi’s comments place the credibility of the 2027 election at the centre of his willingness to accept the outcome, He also stressed that elections should focus on the competence and qualifications of candidates rather than ethnic or religious considerations.

What’s Being Said

Obi insisted that he is qualified to become Nigeria’s president and said he possesses the education, training and experience required for the position, “Election should not be driven by tribe or religion. Today, in terms of qualification, I’m qualified to be president of Nigeria. I have the competence,” he said.

He listed institutions including Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Columbia and Kellogg among the schools where he said he had received training, Obi added that he would withdraw from the presidential race if anyone could establish that any of the qualifications he presented were false.

What’s Next

The focus will now be on the conduct of the 2027 elections and whether political actors and electoral institutions can deliver a process that is widely regarded as free, fair and credible.

Bottom Line

Peter Obi says he will accept defeat in 2027 if Nigerians freely choose another candidate, but he continues to maintain that he won the 2023 presidential election.