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NDC flagbearer urges Nigerians to choose competence over propaganda in 150-day race to January 16 election

By Our Correspondent

ABUJA, August 20, 2026 — Nigeria’s presidential campaigns officially commenced Wednesday, setting the stage for a 150-day political contest that will culminate in the January 16, 2027 election, with Peter Gregory Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) formally presenting himself as the “Candidate of Conscience.”

Section 98(1) of the 2026 Electoral Act mandates that campaigns began yesterday and conclude on January 15, 2027. The 65-year-old former Anambra State governor enters the race promising to transform Nigeria “from consumption to production,” reduce the cost of governance, strengthen education and healthcare, improve security, and expand opportunities for young Nigerians .

In a statement signed by Idris Zekeri Jnr, spokesman for the Peter Obi Media Office (POMR), Obi positioned himself as a leader defined by “integrity, frugality, and accountability” in a political landscape long characterised by “fiscal recklessness and transactional leadership” .

“This campaign goes beyond a typical political contest. It is a battle between two opposing visions: a Nigeria burdened by old habits of waste, division, and broken promises, and a Nigeria driven by competence, accountability, productivity, and hope,” the statement read .

Obi, who ran for president in 2023 on the Labour Party ticket before moving to the NDC, has consistently maintained that leadership should be measured by “competence, capacity, character, compassion, and commitment, not ethnicity or political entitlement”. He enters the campaign “not as a champion of one tribe, one religion, or one region but as a Nigerian seeking judgment based on his record, ideas, and vision” .

The 2027 race features a crowded field of candidates. President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) is seeking a second term, while former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is contesting on the African Democratic Congress (ADC) platform . Other contenders include AAC candidate Omoyele Sowore, PDP candidate Senator Sandy Onor, and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde of the Allied Peoples Movement .

The economy and cost of living are expected to dominate campaign discourse. While the Tinubu administration has pointed to reforms that have attracted investment and slowed inflation from over 34% to 15.4%, many Nigerians say they are yet to feel relief from rising food prices and transport costs . A voter tracker cited in reports shows nearly 80% of Nigerians believe the country is heading in the wrong direction, with 45% citing economic hardship and insecurity as their top concerns .

Obi’s media office challenged Nigerians to “look beyond slogans and propaganda” and scrutinise every candidate’s record, ideas, and vision. “Democracy is strongest when citizens make informed choices based on facts rather than fear or primordial sentiment,” the statement said .

Ahead of the campaign season, Obi joined other presidential candidates in signing the National Peace Accord, committing to issue-based campaigns and rejecting violence and hate speech . He subsequently declared on social media that “those of us wishing to be addressed as ‘His Excellency’ must behave excellently” .

“The next 150 days will test not only the candidates but also the conscience of the nation,” Zekeri Jnr said. “History is calling. Nigeria is watching. The world is watching” .