ACCEPTANCE SPEECH BY MR. PETER OBI FOLLOWING HIS NOMINATION AS THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE OF THE NIGERIAN DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS(NDC) – MAY 30, 2026
Protocols,
Esteemed citizens of Nigeria,
It is with deep humility that I accept the role of presidential candidate for our party.
I express my profound gratitude to the leaders of our party. His Excellency Seriake Dickson, the National Chairman, National Secretary and the National Working Committee, NWC members and members of our relentless supporters, and the Nigerian populace who have steadfastly kept the spirit of hope alive. I commend those who have made the journey from every region of our nation to convene here in Abuja.
I wish to assert unequivocally: a New Nigeria is Possible. This conviction has united us; it must serve as our compass on the challenging road ahead and sustain us through all trials we may face. This pivotal moment transcends the individual ambitions of Peter Obi; it concerns the essence of our nation and the future of our children. It is about rekindling hope for millions who have faced adversity yet remain committed to Nigeria.
Today, our nation finds itself at a crucial juncture, enveloped in uncertainty. Families are anxious about their safety; parents are concerned for their children's futures; and talented youth increasingly question their prospects in their homeland.
Businesses are struggling, communities are suffering, and an alarming number of citizens have lost faith in the very concept of governance. Yet, I stand before you filled with optimism and strong faith in the resilience of our people, for I firmly believe that a New Nigeria is possible.
UNITY
To realise this New Nigeria, we must first mend the foundational elements essential for the success of any nation.
Nigeria cannot advance while fragmented by ethnic, religious, regional, or narrow political divides. We may communicate in different languages and practise diverse faiths, but we share a singular destiny under one flag. Our diversity should not be a source of division; rather, it is among our greatest strengths.
We should build bridges where others erect barriers, replace mistrust with confidence, division with understanding, and resentment with a collective purpose. A united Nigeria is indispensable. As Will Durant wisely pointed out, "A great civilisation is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within." We must never self-destruct. We must heal, unify, and progress together.
INSECURITY
In terms of security, the situation in Nigeria has considerably worsened. The global terrorism impact assessments ranked Nigeria as the 8th most affected nation in 2022, 6th in 2024, and 4th in 2026.
Yet, for many years, Nigeria garnered global recognition as a reliable contributor to peacekeeping, regional stabilisation, and conflict resolution. Our troops have not only displayed bravery but have also shown professionalism, discipline, resilience, and empathy in the most challenging operational contexts. Our officers and personnel have successfully commanded multiple international forthe ces, safeguarded vulnerable civilian populations, monitored ceasefires, reinstated constitutional order, and contributed to rebuilding efforts.
Nigeria became one of the leading contributors of troops from Africa to UN peacekeeping missions and earned widespread admiration for operational effectiveness and leadership in various countries, including Rwanda, Sudan, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Mali, Western Sahara, Congo, Lebanon, Cambodia, Haiti, and Kuwait. At one pointin a Nigeria, Lt. General Isaac Obiakor (rtd) even led global peacekeeping initiatives.
We must address insecurity with resolve and urgency, for no nation can thrive while its citizens live in trepidation. The primary responsibility of the government is to ensure the safeguarding of lives and property.
I’m 61, and not yet in active retirement.
3 years from now, my last child will depart for college.
At that juncture, the inimitable Iyom Electrik (aka “Fine Girl”, “Odogwu nwanyi”), and I will have a choice to make; and it will be a binary choice.
1) Return to our Estate in Anam and build the largest fish farm in Igboland. Farming and writing philosophical treatises.
But this choice carries a contingency; a dramatic improvement in security. If this fails to materialize, we will deed the Estate over to the Catholic Church to repurpose as a high school.
2) Buy a Villa or Finca in Andalusia or Porto, somewhere along the Duoro River. Immersing ourselves in the culture and farming and writing philosophical treatises.
One seeks a life of humble obscurity. Nature, music, poetry, lyricism and knowledge in contradistinction to monumentality, and power. For indeed, “Felix, qui potuit rerum cognoscere causas," ("Happy is the one who has been able to understand the causes of things").
Many friends and colleagues, amongst them plausibly the nation’s best and brightest, called it quits years ago. Seeking freedom from the oppression of a sunken place. Camus was right. A life so close to the wall is a dog’s life.
Their surrogates are the politicians and the purblind “elite” or moneyed peasants; encrustations of barnacle and weed upon the underbelly of the Leviathan, the Nigerian State. The lower forms of life, long seized control of a benighted people. A genus that turns the suffering of the average Nigerian into spectacle.
The people themselves chained in a dark, underground Plato’s cave and looking straight ahead at a blank stone wall and nourished on an infernal diet of tribalism and religion, are caught between passivity and complicity. They are no bargain. Their suffering is not redemptive.
And the intellectuals? The enablers. “Everywhere belle face”.
Time they say, is a precious thing. And I have always liked the dictum: “Time is a fugitive”*
So you see dear Nigerians, I am a candidate in this election. Vote wisely.
* (Literal, the Latin, “Tempus fugit”)
I will advise every young man and woman to learn Cybersecurity. The skilled professionals currently in this field are scarce.
Right now there are over 500,000 open cybersecurity jobs in the US alone with nobody to fill those vacancies. The annual salary is over $100,000.
Dedicate 6 months to one year to learning this skill. You do not need a four year degree to start. Certifications like CompTIA Security+ and Google Cybersecurity Professional are enough to get your foot in the door.
Download any of these platforms and start learning today:
TryHackMe (https://t.co/7OYKOcqmg3), Coursera (https://t.co/PQqYPYabbv) and Hack The Box (https://t.co/QCMh10P2LC). All three are beginner friendly and highly recommended.
Once you are skilled enough, apply for any of these roles:
Security Analyst, Penetration Tester, Cloud Security Architect, Cybersecurity Engineer, Threat Intelligence Analyst, Incident Responder and Chief Information Security Officer. Entry level roles start at $65,000 to $95,000. Senior roles pay as high as $450,000.
The demand is massive. The manpower is scarce. That gap is your opportunity.
Learn Cybersecurity and position yourself where the world is already looking.
Above all, love God.
After extensive hours of deliberations yesterday, which lasted till this morning, and in the company of the National Chairman of our party, our presidential aspirant, His Excellency Peter Obi, and other key members of the National Working Committee and Selection Committee, we received the report of the Screening Committee led by His Excellency, Sam Egwu.
We thank the committee for its painstaking work, which lasted almost a week, especially in handling the staggering number of aspirants that far exceeded our expectations. We also thank all the aspirants for their confidence in the NDC, as well as those who made donations to the party and chose our platform to express their political ambitions across the country. Their numbers run into thousands, and we wish them the very best.
Following a briefing at the joint meeting of the Selection Committee and the Screening Committee, and in view of the constraints of time, it was decided that all those who purchased Expression of Interest Forms would be allowed to participate in the primaries in their various constituencies.
Only successful candidates will report to the party secretariat for documentation and, in the process, pay for nomination forms and complete other necessary forms.
The teams for the primaries have been selected, comprising senior officials of the party, and have been deployed to every state to conduct the exercise with the support of stakeholders and local leaders. We wish them success in this important assignment.
Our party is women- and youth-friendly, and we urge the teams to pay attention to aspirants with the capacity to win elections. They should liaise with stakeholders and remain open and fair in protecting the interests of all aspirants because, at the end of the day, we are a platform for everyone.
We call for violence-free primaries and reiterate our zero tolerance for violent behaviour. The party will take serious action against anyone who resorts to violence, threats, intimidation, or disorderly conduct.
As a result of the tight timelines we are working with, aspirants are expected to proceed with the primaries from tomorrow, 28th and 29th May 2026, using their Expression of Interest Forms to enable them participate. An Appeal Panel will also be inaugurated to look into complaints that may arise during the process.
Note that, in line with the party guidelines, the primaries will be conducted through direct primaries at the constituency level for State Assembly positions, while House of Representatives, Senate, governorship, and presidential affirmations will take place at the various Local Government Headquarters.
Final results will be announced at the party’s National Secretariat by the Selection Committee and the NEC. We strongly recommend consensus where necessary.
We call for understanding and support because of the limited time available, which made it impossible for the party to fully implement the electronic system we had designed for all party primaries and congresses.
As I said at the dinner with aspirants, this will be the last primary election in the NDC to be conducted manually. We understand that the manual process may not be perfect due to time constraints and logistical challenges, and we ask everyone to bear with us. Our intentions are sincere, and future primaries will be conducted electronically to minimise complaints and other challenges.
Finally, we urge the teams to be fair to all aspirants, collaborate with stakeholders and interest groups, and work closely with INEC and security agencies to ensure a peaceful, credible, and transparent process.
Bear with us and join us as we strive to build an enduring modern political institution, not a special-purpose vehicle for any individual political interest, but a party that will outlast all of us.
NDC — Service!
~HSD
@Treefruithouses Reminds me of Apostle Joshua Selmans testimony years back, when he helped some old women, and one of them told him, "my son, from today walk on gold" and his life has never remained the same since then. Truly they are powerful people amongst us.
The first thing that will happen once Peter Obi enters Aso Rock next year is, the ministries will go on a strike against him for trying to sanitise and digitise the system, and closing every loophole.
The National Assembly will threaten him with impeachment proceedings, if he doesn’t revert back to the old system.
The Lagos-Ibadan media will instigate national protests, be on CNN with Amanpour to analyse how weak and wicked he is.
Seun Okinbaloye will be bending neck like Turkey to ask “tough” questions he couldn’t ask current APC government.
At the end of the day, the system will be sanitised and the criminals will be dealt with decisively.
He has done it before in Anambra state, he will do it again at the national level. Go and verify.
Peter Obi is coming!
While studying Mechanical Engineering in school, I never thought about becoming an Aircraft Engineer. The goal was simple... join my top guy in the marine engineering field after graduation, sail the world and stack money like the jews. But life happened. I questioned God when his death came, but God brought Aviation.
Why am I trying to bore you with the aforementioned story?
If you are in school studying Electrical, Mechanical, Physics, or Aeronautics please, if you can find your way into Aviation, do it. We might be facing a decline in skilled workers in the coming years.
Find Aviation Training Schools offering AME courses and attend. The ultimate goal is to get your license.
Be rest assured, you won't regret it with the right backing.
Not everyone will make it into the oil & gas industry, so let's think outside the box.
Be guided.
Good morning my people.
Okay let's do this so it's not all talk.
Whenever it's needed, @NigeriaNDCHQ my teams and I are willing to volunteer on any tech platform project needed.
The only cost accrued to you will be on tooling or platforms e.g., hosting/domain name purchases, etc etc. The development work itself which encapsulates salaries if needed, will be for free, whether it be for dashboards, automations, or any other capability.
Compensate with anything within your discretion for the real work. If you don't compensate us, no grudges held, no public vendetta and articles or videos of complaint. It will be sacrifice for a just cause: @PeterObi and @KwankwasoRM getting into Aso Rock.
cc: @trigottista, @Wizarab10 kindly retweet to bring to the HQ's attention.
We shall do this and do it with global excellence in mind.
Yesterday, May 19th, in Abuja, I attended the Presidential screening organised by our party, which took over two and a half hours. They carefully reviewed all my documents, including my degree certificates, NYSC credentials, and age declarations.
During the process, I also addressed questions regarding my vision for a new Nigeria and the type of leadership our nation urgently needs right now. Following this, I was cleared and received the presidential nomination form I had previously paid for.
I would like to commend the screening committee, led by former governor Sam Egwu, for their thorough and professional approach. Additionally, I appreciate our party's leadership for upholding the democratic process.
A New Nigeria is POssible. - PO
If you are relocating to Canada 🇨🇦 from Nigeria 🇳🇬 and don’t know which city to pick, let me save you the research.
🇨🇦 Toronto = 🇳🇬 Lagos. Same hustle. Same traffic on Don Valley Parkway. You didn’t relocate, you just changed currency.
🇨🇦 Ottawa = 🇳🇬 Abuja. Government jobs. Quiet life. People leave work at 5pm. Still can’t believe that’s legal.
🇨🇦 Vancouver = 🇳🇬 Port Harcourt. Beautiful. By the water. Everything is expensive and nobody is sorry about it.
🇨🇦 Calgary = 🇳🇬 Warri. Oil and gas. Tough people. No time for packaging. What you see is what you get.
🇨🇦 Brampton = 🇳🇬 Festac/Surulere. Every Nigerian knows someone there. The jollof, the churches, the hair salons. You will think you never left.
🇨🇦 Winnipeg = 🇳🇬 Kaduna. Overlooked. Affordable. Getting better quietly. Nobody talks about it enough.
🇨🇦 Montreal = 🇳🇬 Ibadan. Old soul. Rich culture. Speaks a different language and is very proud of that. You will adapt or struggle.
🇨🇦 Edmonton = 🇳🇬 Enugu. Solid. Underestimated. People work hard and say nothing about it.
Which one did I get right and which one did I miss? 👇
If you’re moving from Nigeria 🇳🇬 to the United States 🇺🇸 and you’re unsure which city to choose, here’s a quick shortcut to save you hours of research.
🇺🇸 Houston = 🇳🇬 Lagos. Endless hustle, heavy traffic, loud ambition, and Nigerians absolutely everywhere.
🇺🇸 Atlanta = 🇳🇬 Abuja. Clean, growing fast, full of professionals, and everybody somehow knows somebody from Naija.
🇺🇸 Dallas = 🇳🇬 Port Harcourt. Money energy, business mindset, big houses, and people moving like they have deals to close.
🇺🇸 New York City = 🇳🇬 Lagos Island. Fast life, survival mode, no sleeping, and if you can make it there, you can survive anywhere.
🇺🇸 Chicago = 🇳🇬 Kano. Serious commercial presence, resilient people, and weather that can humble your confidence quickly.
🇺🇸 Maryland / DMV = 🇳🇬 Enugu. Educated crowd, family focused Nigerians, and enough community support to settle in comfortably.
🇺🇸 Minneapolis = 🇳🇬 Jos. Calm, colder than expected, peaceful lifestyle, and surprisingly strong African communities.
🇺🇸 Los Angeles = 🇳🇬 Benin City. Style, entertainment, soft life dreams, and people chasing visibility and opportunity.
🇺🇸 Philadelphia = 🇳🇬 Ibadan. Historic, respected, deeply rooted culture, and not always trying to impress outsiders.
🇺🇸 Boston = 🇳🇬 Ilorin. Quiet excellence. Heavy academic energy. Serious minded people focused on building their future.
🇺🇸 Charlotte = 🇳🇬 Uyo. Growing quietly, affordable compared to bigger cities, and attracting more Nigerians every year.
🇺🇸 Newark / New Jersey = 🇳🇬 Onitsha. Busy immigrant life, strong hustle culture, and everybody seems connected through one uncle or church.
Which one did I get right
which one did I miss?
There’s a silent disaster happening in Nigeria that nobody wants to confront honestly.
We keep shouting about unemployment, bad leadership, low productivity, corruption, poor healthcare, failed institutions and why our country is not working. But many people are avoiding the root cause.
Our education system has been deeply compromised.
A student enters secondary school or university full of dreams, intelligence and potential. Then the system teaches them something dangerous:
“You do not need competence to succeed.”
WAEC malpractice. NECO malpractice. GCE runs. Sorting. Sex for grades. Extortion. Intimidation. Victimization. Handout rackets. “See me after class.” “Talk to your lecturer.” “Settle this course.”
And after 4 or 5 years of surviving that environment, we expect excellence to magically appear.
It won’t.
A country cannot repeatedly reward dishonesty in classrooms and expect integrity in government offices, hospitals, engineering sites, courtrooms and businesses.
This is where many of our unemployable graduates are coming from.
Not because Nigerians are not intelligent.
Not because our youths are lazy.
But because too many people were trained inside a system where merit was murdered.
The painful part is this:
UNN, UNILAG, FUTO, ABU, UI, IMSU, ABSU and many others are using largely the same NUC-regulated curriculum.
The difference is standards.
The universities that still command respect are usually the ones with stronger resistance against sorting, extortion and academic fraud.
The ones collapsing in reputation are often the ones where corruption became normalized.
Once a student realizes they can buy an “A” with ₦20,000, or sleep their way through a course, or manipulate results through connections, the motivation to truly learn starts dying slowly.
And when millions of such graduates enter the labor market, the entire country pays the price.
That weak engineer may eventually supervise a bridge.
That poorly trained nurse may handle a patient.
That compromised accountant may manage public funds.
That fake first-class graduate may become a lecturer and reproduce the same cycle again.
This is no longer just an education problem.
It is a national security problem.
Countries become great because they protect competence fiercely.
Singapore did it.
China did it.
Germany did it.
South Korea did it.
You cannot build a first-world country with a third-world attitude towards education integrity.
Nigeria does not have a shortage of talent.
Nigeria has a shortage of systems that protect excellence.
And until we become ruthless about fighting academic corruption, exam malpractice, sorting, sex-for-grades and institutional intimidation, we will continue producing certificates instead of competence.
This fight is bigger than schools.
It is about the future survival of Nigeria itself.