The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi has publicly accused the Federal Government of actively working to prevent him from contesting the 2027 presidential election and calling on Nigerians to demand a free, fair and transparent electoral process.
The former Anambra State Governor and ADC chieftain made the allegation while addressing a group of Nigerians in a viral video on Wednesday March 18, 2026, calling for a transparent and credible electoral process.
The statement is his most direct accusation yet against the Tinubu administration.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria does not want me to contest in the 2027 presidential election. We are not asking for much. They already have the governors and ministers; we are only asking for a free and fair election,” Obi said.
He did not stop at the accusation. He went on to paint a picture of a deeply unequal political playing field, one where the incumbent administration controls almost every lever of influence while the opposition scrambles for oxygen.
“They have all the contacts. They know the queen and the king, while we do not. They have everything,” he said.
Obi used the moment to reflect on a political career defined by adversity and resilience invoking his history of setbacks as evidence that he cannot be broken by the current pressure. “I have been in this very difficult business where people abandoned you completely for one election. I spent three years in court and no one followed me there. I have been impeached, returned to my village where no one wanted to see me, and removed from office twice,” he said, adding that such experiences have prepared him for whatever lies ahead. “So there is nothing I will not see again.”
Notably however Obi added a candid admission that undercuts some of the certainty around his 2027 ambitions. In a separate video message to his supporters he acknowledged that securing the ADC presidential ticket is not guaranteed. “Someone asked me how I know for sure that the ADC will give me the presidential ticket. I cannot be certain. What matters is that we are committed to a cause,” he said, stressing that his focus remains on building a movement driven by national interest rather than personal ambition.
The Federal Government has not responded to Obi’s allegations at the time of this report.
