(Video) 2027: ‘Makinde is qualified to be President’ — Peter Obi

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, on Monday declared that his counterpart in the Allied Peoples Movement, APM, Seyi Makinde, is qualified to become President of Nigeria.

Obi spoke in Abuja at the inauguration of Makinde’s presidential campaign office ahead of the 2027 elections, urging Nigerians to freely choose their preferred candidate and opposition politicians to unite in rescuing the country.

Describing Makinde as his “dear brother”, Obi said: “We want a Nigeria of unity, inclusion; we have a candidate who is contesting for President today, my dear brother Makinde. Is he qualified to be President? Yes, he is qualified.”

The NDC candidate said whoever emerges victorious through a free, fair and credible election should receive the support of other political leaders.

“What we are doing today, for us is not about desperation but we want Nigerians to make their choice. All of us should come together to build a new Nigeria.

“We can’t continue the way we are going, our people are hungry and poor. Whoever wins genuinely from a free, fair, and credible election, we will all work together to save this country from collapse,” he said.

Obi also called for an end to confrontational politics, saying political disagreements should instead focus on solving the problems confronting Nigerians.

“We don’t want politics of quarrel, politics of disagreement. Let our quarrel be to feed our people. Let our quarrel be to pull our people out of poverty,” he said.

He added that the political class should work towards a Nigeria where citizens can succeed regardless of their background or connections.

“We want a Nigeria where a child of nobody can be somebody without knowing anybody. That’s what we want. And all of us will work as a family. And I assure you that we remain united in our rescue for our dear country, Nigeria,” Obi added.

We have a candidate who is contesting for president, my dear brother Makinde. Is he qualified to be president? Yes, he is qualified.

— Presidential candidate of the NDC, Peter Obi campigans for Seyi Makinde at the inauguration of the presidential campaign of the APM candidate,… pic.twitter.com/NCBQLRJCuE

— Vanguard Newspapers (@vanguardngrnews) September 7, 2026

Makinde and Obi are among opposition figures seeking the presidency in 2027, with Makinde contesting on the APM platform and Obi on the NDC platform. Other major candidates include Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).