Peter Obi To Shun Rival Aides' Attacks, Focus Only On Candidates Themselves

The Peter Obi Media Office has declared that the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) will no longer respond to attacks, insinuations or provocations from political surrogates acting on behalf of other presidential candidates.

In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Idris Zekeri Jnr, on Monday, the media office said the 2027 presidential election should be a contest among candidates whose names would appear on the ballot, rather than between candidates and their hired defenders.

The statement accused some political surrogates of making what it described as “reckless accusations” and fabricating claims in an attempt to keep their principals’ names in the political conversation.

According to the office, Obi “stands by his words, defends his record, and is prepared to discuss his ideas openly with Nigerians” to enable voters to make informed choices.

It challenged other presidential candidates to come forward and defend their records, explain their policies and address concerns raised by Nigerians rather than relying on proxies.

“Those seeking to govern Nigeria should have the same courage. We challenge every presidential candidate hiding behind surrogates to step forward and speak for themselves,” the statement said.

The Obi media office maintained that candidates should directly engage one another on policy disagreements and records, arguing that Nigerians deserved to hear directly from those seeking their votes.

It described the use of surrogates as “remote-controlled presidential politics,” saying such an approach allowed candidates to remain insulated while their supporters made controversial allegations against political opponents.

The office said Obi would henceforth only engage presidential candidates directly, declaring: “If a presidential candidate has an issue with Mr Obi, let that candidate speak directly. If there are policy disagreements, let the candidates debate openly.”

It added that if any candidate challenged Obi’s record, such a candidate should equally present their own record for Nigerians to scrutinise.

“No more proxies. No more political ventriloquism. No more responses to individuals who are not on the ballot,” the statement declared.

The media office said the 2027 presidential election would ultimately be decided by Nigerian voters and not by the loudest political surrogate.

It reiterated Obi’s commitment to engaging with Nigerians and focusing on what it described as the urgent task of addressing the country’s leadership challenges.

“If your name is on the ballot, Peter Obi will engage with you. If you are not on the ballot, Peter Obi has no reason to engage with you,” the statement said.

It concluded with the assertion that “A New Nigeria is Possible but certainly not with surrogates.”