PETER Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has challenged Nigerians to scrutinise his background and expose any wrongdoing he may have committed in the past.
News Point Nigeria reports that Obi spoke on Thursday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, during a town hall meeting with voters tagged “Obi Talks Nigeria,” where he fielded questions on the 2027 general election. The event featured direct interaction between Obi, his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, and participants.
The remarks were contained in a report by TheCable, written by Imoleayo Oyedeyi, following the Port Harcourt town hall, where Obi challenged Nigerians and the wider public to investigate his past and bring forward any evidence of wrongdoing.
His remarks come amid ongoing public discussions about the backgrounds and records of leading contenders in the 2027 presidential election, including former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Tinubu.
The discussions have also focused on the educational backgrounds of the three presidential candidates, after they omitted their primary and secondary school certificates from the personal particulars they submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission in late July.
The former governor of Anambra State said Rabiu Kwankwaso, his running mate, and he had openly declared their backgrounds and past records for Nigerians to fact-check.
“I want to give every Nigerian the opportunity to know who I am,” he said.
“Both of us have presented our backgrounds, from our dates of birth to our schools, education and all, to the people. You can go and verify our backgrounds worldwide, anywhere.”
Obi further made a veiled reference to the suit he filed against Kenneth Okonkwo, his spokesperson during the 2023 presidential election campaign, over alleged defamatory comments made by the Nollywood actor about their past dealings.
The former governor said he took the legal action because Okonkwo claimed to know questionable things about his past.
“We have sued somebody in court. He said he knows something he can say and the people will be shocked. I said I want you to say what people will be shocked about,” Obi said.
“And I’m challenging every Nigerian. If there is anything that you know I have done that is wrong, say it out now.
“I’m challenging the world over: if you know anything that Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has done that is wrong, say it out now.”
Obi’s reference comes against the backdrop of the ongoing legal dispute between him and Okonkwo. Obi filed an ₦8 billion defamation suit against his former spokesman at the Anambra State High Court over allegations made by Okonkwo, who has maintained that he stands by his earlier statements.
According to Obi, anyone seeking a top political office must emerge through an excellent process.
“You cannot continue to answer his excellency when the process that got you there is not excellent,” he said.
The NDC presidential candidate’s challenge comes as the 2027 political contest intensifies, with the records, credentials, political antecedents and integrity of the major contenders increasingly becoming subjects of public scrutiny.