By Kingston Magare 10.9.2026
Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate Peter Obi has insisted that he won the 2023 presidential vote, alleging that the Independent National Electoral Commission blatantly cheated for President Bola Tinubu.
Obi who was speaking Thursday in an interview on Arise TV said in 2027, he would only concede if it was clear Nigerians voted truly for the incumbent President or other rivals in the election.
“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,” Obi said.
“In 2023, we took things for granted. We believed INEC. We believed what they said they would do.
“The INEC chairman then Mahmood Yakubu convinced the world that he would do the right thing, when, in fact, he was working for the opposition.
“This time, we will only trust them by doing the right thing ourselves.”
However, he added that: “In 2027 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.”
Speaking on speculations he rejected forming an alliance with African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Abubakar Atiku, Obi stated that there was never a time he running with the former Nigerian Vice President came up for discussion.
“Who said that? No, nobody… There wasn’t even any party where that offer was on the table.
“I wasn’t even in a position where that was being offered and I refused.”
He also spoke about persons born after 1960 not been able to become President of Nigeria.
“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,” Obi said.
Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), speaking
(Photo by Light Oriye Tamunotonye / AFP via Getty Images)