The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 general election, Peter Obi, has raised concerns over what he described as persistent intimidation and systematic frustration of his activities, saying he cannot guarantee he will still be alive to contest the next presidential election.
Obi made the remarks during an interview on With Chude, hosted by media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo. A clip of the interview was shared on Jideonwo’s X account on Wednesday.
Responding to a question on whether he would contest the 2027 presidential election, the former Anambra State governor said the challenges confronting him had become so severe that he could not even be certain of being alive by then.
“Not even a candidate. I might not even be alive. I’m telling you. Every single thing I do for a living, this government is frustrating it. Deliberately so. Everything. So, there is even a possibility, if they have the opportunity, I will not be alive,” Obi said.
Although he stopped short of directly accusing any individual, Obi maintained that the pattern of events surrounding his activities pointed to deliberate efforts to hinder him.
“It’s not an accusation. I know. I get frustration every day. Because you do things that you think would be normal—it is not normal anymore.
“They won’t come directly and say, ‘Oh, we’re doing this,’ but you can see their hand in virtually everything.”
Asked whether he believed he was being singled out, Obi argued that the alleged intimidation extended beyond him to other opposition figures.
“They are attacking everybody who is in opposition personally. I am being attacked personally. Everything. Even to provide me with necessary things that I should have been entitled to, not at all,” he said.
To support his claims, Obi recounted what he described as a recent encounter at an airport, alleging that officials locked his vehicle while leaving others untouched.
“I had a case recently at the airport, where people who work in the airport came and locked my car. And I said, ‘It’s me.’ The person in charge said he doesn’t care.
“But I said, ‘Look at the cars of other people.’ And you could see them talking to each other, as if, ‘Who is this one?'”
The former governor further claimed that the atmosphere of fear had discouraged some acquaintances from publicly identifying with him.
“And I see people I know at the airport, they will not greet me because they are scared of what might happen if they do.”
He also alleged that some supporters had advised him not to attend their family events for fear that his presence could attract unwanted attention.
“And I have people send me invitations and say, ‘My son, my daughter is wedding, but please don’t come,'” Obi said.
As of the time of filing this report, the Federal Government had not issued any official response to the allegations made by the opposition presidential candidate.
