Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has said he fears he may not be alive before Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election, claiming that persistent actions allegedly aimed at frustrating him have intensified in recent years.
Speaking during an interview on With Chude, hosted by media entrepreneur Chude Jideonwo, Obi said his greatest concern is no longer whether he will secure a party’s presidential ticket but whether he would still be alive to participate in the next election.
“Not even a candidate. I might not even be alive. I’m telling you. 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.”
The former Anambra State governor, however, clarified that he was not directly accusing the Federal Government of plotting against him. Instead, he said the pattern of events surrounding his activities points to continuous intimidation and obstruction.
“It’s not an accusation. I know. I get frustration every day. Because you do things that you think would be normal—it is not normal anymore. They won’t come directly and say, ‘Oh, we’re doing this,’ but you can see their hand in virtually everything.”
Peter Obi alleges intimidation and political harassment
Expanding on his claims, Peter Obi alleged that the treatment he experiences is not limited to him but also affects other opposition politicians across the country.
According to him, opposition figures are increasingly becoming targets of personal attacks and are denied privileges they would ordinarily be entitled to.
“They are attacking everybody who is in opposition personally. I am being attacked personally. Everything. Even to provide me with necessary things that I should have been entitled to, not at all.”
To illustrate his point, Obi recounted an incident at an airport where he claimed officials immobilised his vehicle while leaving other cars untouched.
“I had a case recently at the airport, where people who work in the airport came and locked my car. And I said, ‘It’s me.’ The person in charge said he doesn’t care.”
The former governor also claimed that some of his supporters and associates have become reluctant to publicly identify with him because of fear.
According to Obi, some people now avoid greeting him openly, while others who invited him to private events later pleaded with him not to attend.
“I have people send me invitations and say, ‘My son, my daughter is wedding, but please don’t come.'”
Presidency rejects allegations
The Presidency has rejected Peter Obi’s claims, insisting that there is no campaign by the Federal Government to intimidate or frustrate the former presidential candidate.
Reacting to the interview, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Obi’s comments as misleading and without factual basis.
According to Onanuga, the suggestion that Obi’s life could be under threat because of government actions was merely an attempt to attract public sympathy.
“Peter Obi’s recent claims of being targeted by the government… are simply unfounded and misleading.”
He further stated that Obi’s assertion that he might not be alive to contest the 2027 election amounted to “nothing more than a fabricated narrative.”
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Onanuga maintained that the Federal Government was not targeting Obi, his associates, or any institution connected to him.
As of the time of the interview, Peter Obi did not present evidence publicly to support his allegations against the government.
The exchange adds another chapter to the growing political debate ahead of the 2027 general election, with both Peter Obi and the Presidency maintaining sharply different positions on the allegations.
