Peter Obi, chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), says he is not distracted by reports of a possible 2027 presidential bid from ex-President Goodluck Jonathan.
The former Anambra governor said his focus remains on offering credible leadership to rebuild Nigeria.
Speaking on Tuesday night shortly after undergoing a screening exercise by the NDC at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, Obi dismissed suggestions that he had emerged as a consensus presidential candidate of the party, insisting the process was open, transparent, and democratic.
“How can it be based on consensus? The party opened up the expression of interest forms for people to buy. I bought the form. As the party said, I’m the only one who expressed interest. That’s it,” Obi said.
On increased chatter on Jonathan joining the presidential race, Obi said democracy thrives when qualified citizens are free to offer themselves for service.
“Democracy is about people offering themselves for service and being voted for,” he said.
“I’m not in any way going around looking for who is contesting. I’m concentrating on how to build a better Nigeria.”
The presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 poll commended the NDC for conducting a credible screening process chaired by Sam Egwu, former governor of Ebonyi.
“At NDC, we are choosing to do things properly. When we say there is going to be a screening, there is going to be a screening. That is democracy in action,” he added.
