‘I may not be alive to contest in 2027 election’

The 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, says he may not be alive to contest next year’s presidential election.

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Mr Obi, a former Governor of Anambra State, disclosed this in a podcast interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, which was posted on Facebook on Wednesday.

During the interview, Mr Jideonwo asked the NDC candidate whether there was any possibility that he would not fly the party’s flag in the 2027 presidential election.

“Not even a candidate. I might not even be alive. I’m telling you,” he responded, alleging that the current Nigerian government has been frustrating his activities and targeting opposition figures.

He continued, “Every single thing I do for a living, this government is frustrating. Deliberately so. So, there is even a possibility that, if they have the opportunity, I will not be alive.”

Mr Obi, however, clarified that he was not making direct accusations against President Bola Tinubu’s government because the government does not act openly.

“It’s not an accusation. I know. I get frustrated every day because you do things that you think would be normal – it is not normal anymore.

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“They (the government) won’t come directly and say, ‘Oh, we’re doing this,’ but you can see their hand in everything,” he said.

When specifically asked if the government was directly attacking him, the NDC candidate claimed the attacks were not limited to him.

“They are attacking everybody who is in opposition personally. I am being attacked personally. Even to provide me with the necessary things to which I should be entitled, not at all,” he said.

READ ALSO: Oyo Abduction: ‘Makinde told me he never called,’ Peter Obi restates call for Tinubu’s resignation

Instances of attacks against me

Giving instances of attacks against him, Mr Obi referenced an incident at an airport where officials allegedly locked his car, despite other vehicles being parked in the same area.

“I said, ‘It’s me.’ The person in charge said he didn’t care. But I said, ‘Look at the cars of other people,’” he recalled.

The NDC candidate further alleged that some people now avoid publicly associating with him for fear of becoming targets of the government. The former governor also claimed that some supporters had discouraged him from attending family events.

“And I have people send me invitations and say, ‘My son, my daughter is having a wedding, but please don’t come’,” he said.