‘No Excellence, No Excellency’- Obi Throws Challenge at 2027 Presidential Candidates, Seeks Free, Fair Polls

Peter Obi has challenged politicians seeking the presidency in 2027 to demonstrate the character expected of the office they seek, declaring that those demanding to be addressed as “His Excellency” must first “behave excellently.”

The former Anambra State governor says the 2027 contest must be driven by the issues affecting Nigerians, including insecurity, poverty, national unity, the out-of-school children crisis and the restoration of hope to citizens.

Obi warns political leaders against violent rhetoric and urges them to rein in their supporters, insisting that the credibility of the election will depend on the conduct of candidates as much as the actions of electoral and security institutions.

After signing the National Peace Accord, Obi calls on INEC and security agencies to deliver impartial elections and asks his supporters to remain peaceful, firm and determined throughout the electioneering process.

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has thrown a fresh challenge at political actors preparing for the 2027 general elections, declaring that those seeking the prestigious title of “His Excellency” must first demonstrate excellence in their conduct and in the process through which they seek power.

Obi’s pointed declaration came on Wednesday, a day after he joined other presidential candidates and political stakeholders in signing the first National Peace Accord for the 2027 elections in Abuja.

had reported that the accord was signed on Tuesday ahead of the statutory commencement of campaigns and rallies for the 2027 general elections, with political actors committing themselves to peaceful and issue-based campaigns and rejecting conduct capable of undermining the electoral process.

Reflecting on his participation, Obi said the signing was more than a ceremonial exercise, arguing that political leaders should ordinarily not need to be reminded to conduct themselves responsibly.

“Those of us wishing to be addressed as ‘His Excellency’ must behave excellently, and, more importantly, the process of attaining public office must be excellent,” Obi said in a statement posted on X on Wednesday.

The former Anambra State governor said his decision to sign the accord was a reaffirmation of his commitment to responsible Politics and an electoral process devoid of violence, rancour and inflammatory rhetoric.

“My signing of the accord is a reinforcement of my continued commitment to insisting that we, as candidates, must conduct ourselves in a way that reflects the office we aspire to,” he said.

‘Leaders Must Rein In Their Followers’

Obi’s intervention comes as the political temperature rises ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with the formal campaign season now beginning and major political parties stepping up their mobilisation nationwide.

He warned that political leaders could not distance themselves from the conduct of their supporters, particularly where such conduct involved threats, violent rhetoric or inflammatory mobilisation.

“Leaders must eschew all forms of violent rhetoric and rein in their followers to do the same,” he said.

The NDC candidate also called on politicians to focus their campaigns on the issues that matter most to Nigerians, rather than ethnic, religious or personality-based mobilisation.

“The next elections must be strictly based on the issues that matter to Nigerians: unity, insecurity, pulling people out of poverty, reducing the number of out-of-school children, and restoring hope to the long-suffering people of our country,” he said.

For Obi, the peace accord should provide the framework for a contest in which political parties present competing solutions to Nigeria’s problems and allow voters to make informed choices.

He said supporters of the various candidates should be made to understand that their principals had committed themselves to an electoral process based on ideas rather than rancour.

“Our supporters must see that we have all committed to free, fair, and credible elections based on issues and devoid of rancour,” he added.

NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, joins other political actors at the National Peace Accord ceremony in Abuja, where candidates pledged to pursue peaceful and credible elections.

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Obi Backs INEC, Demands Security Neutrality

Obi also expressed confidence in the ability of electoral authorities to organise credible elections, but stressed that such confidence must be matched by impartiality in practice.

“We take very seriously the commitment of INEC to free, fair, and credible elections, as well as the pledge by law enforcement agencies to remain unbiased throughout the electioneering process,” he said.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is preparing for the deployment of approximately 1.4 million ad hoc personnel across more than 176,000 polling units for the 2027 elections.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, also told political actors that the credibility of the election would depend not only on the commission but on candidates respecting democratic rules and electoral institutions.

Amupitan had earlier described the election as a contest that should be a “marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war,” urging politicians to establish ethical boundaries before campaigns fully commenced.

The INEC chairman said the timing of the accord was crucial because Wednesday, August 19, marked the statutory commencement of public campaigns and rallies for the 2027 election.

The National Peace Committee, which facilitated the accord, has similarly warned against violence, hate speech, misinformation, personal attacks and character assassination as the political contest gathers momentum.

The committee said the agreement was designed to move political campaigns away from name-calling and personality attacks towards manifestoes, policies and programmes.

President Bola Tinubu, who is seeking another term, was represented at the ceremony by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, George Akume.