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| File Photo: Peter Obi addressing journalists |
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed claims by the 2027 presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, that his life may be in danger, describing the allegations as baseless.
Naija Brain reports that Obi made the remarks during an interview with media personality Chude Jideonwo, where he accused the Federal Government of deliberately frustrating his activities and those of other opposition figures.
The former Anambra State governor said he could not be certain he would be alive to contest the 2027 presidential election.
“Not even a candidate. I might not even be alive. I’m telling you,” Obi said.
He alleged that every aspect of his public life was being deliberately obstructed by the government.
“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,” he stated.
Obi maintained that he was not directly accusing the government of plotting against him but claimed there was evidence of official interference in his activities.
“They won’t come directly and say, ‘Oh, we’re doing this,’ but you can see their hand in virtually everything,” he said.
The former governor further alleged that opposition figures were being singled out for harassment.
“They are attacking everybody who is in opposition personally. I am being attacked personally,” he added.
To support his claims, Obi recalled an incident at an airport where he alleged that security officials locked his vehicle while other vehicles parked in the same area were left untouched. He also claimed that some individuals had become reluctant to be seen with him publicly for fear of being targeted.
Reacting to the allegations, APC National Secretary, Senator Ajibola Basiru, dismissed Obi's remarks, insisting that the ruling party remained focused on governance rather than the opposition.
Speaking with The PUNCH, Basiru said Obi had become politically irrelevant and suggested that the former Labour Party presidential candidate needed a psychiatric evaluation.
“Obi has no relevance. Obi has been consigned to irrelevance, going by what the Nigerian people have been saying since that time. Obi and other opposition leaders have not made any showing in any electoral contest. The new party, NDC, we saw in the election three weeks ago in Ekiti and in some by-elections – they were not even known by the Nigerian people.
“So, maybe Obi needs a psychiatric evaluation to know whether or not he is hallucinating. As far as we are concerned, the statement he made was born out of hallucination.”
Basiru said the APC was confident of retaining power in 2027, arguing that the party's performance in government would secure another electoral victory.
“APC is focused on delivering good governance that will renew the hope of all citizens. We are not bothered about Obi and other opposition leaders. We have defeated them in the past, and we will defeat them again in 2027 because our party has done well,” he said.
The APC scribe also accused the opposition of relying on unfounded allegations instead of presenting viable policy alternatives to Nigerians.
“The opposition has continued to resort to baseless allegations instead of presenting credible alternatives to Nigerians. Rather than engaging in fear-mongering and spreading unfounded claims, they should focus on explaining their programmes and policies to the electorate.
“In the APC government, our priority remains the implementation of policies that improve the lives of Nigerians, strengthen the economy, enhance security, and create opportunities for all citizens. We remain confident that our performance will speak for itself, and Nigerians will make their decision based on facts and results in 2027. And they will re-elect APC again,” Basiru added.