I am not worried about Jonathan’s presidential bid” — Peter Obi

Former Anambra State Governor and presidential aspirant, Peter Obi, has said he is not bothered by speculation surrounding a possible presidential bid by former President Goodluck Jonathan, stressing that his focus remains on rebuilding Nigeria and offering credible leadership ahead of the 2027 elections.

Obi made the remarks shortly after undergoing a screening exercise conducted by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) at the party’s national secretariat in Abuja, which reportedly lasted till 10pm on Tuesday as part of preparations for its presidential primaries.

The former Labour Party presidential candidate dismissed suggestions that he had already emerged as a consensus candidate of the party, insisting that the process remained open 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,” he said.

Reacting to speculation about Jonathan possibly joining the race, Obi maintained that democracy allows all qualified Nigerians to contest freely, adding that he remains focused on national development rather than political permutations.

“Democracy is about people offering themselves for service and being voted for. I’m not in any way going around looking for who is contesting. I’m concentrating on how to build a better Nigeria,” he said.

Obi also commended the NDC for what he described as a transparent screening process, noting that the party was demonstrating internal democracy by following due procedures.

“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 said.

The screening session, chaired by former Ebonyi State Governor Sam Egwu, reportedly lasted over two hours.

Obi further used the occasion to outline his vision for Nigeria, calling for a safer, more united and economically stable country driven by inclusive governance and strict adherence to federal character principles.

He lamented rising insecurity, poverty and hardship across the country, warning that millions of Nigerians are struggling to survive amid worsening economic conditions.

“We want to see a country where mothers no longer fear when their children go to school. We want Nigerians to travel all over the country without fear,” he said.

Obi also called for an end to corruption and misuse of public resources, insisting that national assets must be used for the benefit of citizens rather than individuals.

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