Peter Obi, Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has accused the Federal Government of plotting to stop him from the 2027 contest.

Speaking at a leadership programme organised by NextGen Mentorship and Leadership Initiative at Madonna University, Okija, Anambra State, on Friday, Obi claimed efforts were being made to stop his participation in the next election.

“If I tell you what I am going through today, I will not be here. People asked me, ‘Are you still going to Madona?’ And I said, ‘Yes. I’m going there.’ They said with all that is happening in Nigeria, you are still going there, and I said, ‘Yes. I have seen the worst of it.’ Today, the Federal Government of Nigeria is doing everything possible to ensure that I am not a candidate in this election, but I’ll tell you that they won’t win.”

“If you live a life where there is no obstacle, then you are not living. Don’t look at the obstacles, the obstacles will always be there. I’m not looking at the obstacles but at the destination. I’m rather focused at the fruitfulness of the destination and that is what keeps me going,” he said.

Obi also challenged all prospective presidential contenders, including President Bola Tinubu, to a public debate on their plans for the country.

“I challenge any of those contesting to a debate to say what they want to do for this country, including President Bola Tinubu. I’m not saying it to make you happy but to change Nigeria and make it work,” he said.

The former Anambra State governor told the students that he was not driven by personal ambition but by a desire to see the country improve.

“I’m not desperate to be Nigerian President but desperate to see Nigeria work. Go and obtain your PVC. If you don’t vote, you are hurting your future. When you have your PVC, do not vote for me because I’m an Igbo man. I’m not contesting election because I’m an igbo man, but vote for me because I’m the most qualified.”

“It is not about Igbo people but I want a Nigeria where the child of a nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody. We want a country that will work. The greatest beneficiaries of my presidency will be the north.”

Obi also reacted to the Federal High Court judgment which set aside an earlier ruling directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to register the NDC as a political party.

Daily Trust reports that a Federal High Court in Lokoja had set aside its earlier judgment directing INEC to register NDC as a political party.

INEC had registered NDC as a political party on February 5, 2026, based on the judgement of December 10, 2025.

But on Friday, Justice Isah Dashen, the presiding judge, held that the earlier judgment was constitutionally defective as it was delivered without hearing from all interested parties.

He declared that such an omission rendered the entire process null and void.

The judge ordered all parties to return to the position they occupied before the judgment of December 10, 2025, and directed the claimants to join all necessary parties to ensure the issues in dispute are effectually and completely determined.

But Obi vowed that the ruling would not deter him from challenging Tinubu and other contestants in next year’s election.

“They can not stop me. They will fail. Let me assure you it is not the end of the road. We are committed to this democracy and those who want to kill this democracy are trying to hurt the society.”

“The reactionary elements in Nigeria, those who are bent on holding Nigeria down do not want it to work but I can assure you it would work. I have confidence that I will pull through because the will of the people must prevail,” he said.