The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress for the 2027 election, Peter Obi, has alleged that the government is frustrating his activities and targeting opposition figures, saying he may not even be alive to contest the next presidential election.
Obi made the remarks during an interview on With Chude, which was posted on X on Wednesday by media personality Chude Jideonwo.
Responding to a question on whether there was a possibility that he might not be a candidate in 2027, the former Anambra State governor said the situation had gone beyond politics.
“Not even a candidate. I might not even be alive. I’m telling you,” Obi said.
“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.”
Obi, however, clarified that he was not making a direct accusation, but speaking from what he described as his daily experience of obstruction and frustration.
“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,” he said.
“They won’t come directly and say, ‘Oh, we’re doing this,’ but you can see their hand in virtually everything.”
Asked whether the alleged actions were targeted at him personally, Obi said the treatment extended to opposition figures generally.
“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,” he said.
The former Labour Party presidential candidate cited an incident at an airport where he claimed officials locked his car while other vehicles parked in the same area were left 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,” Obi said.
“But I said, ‘Look at the cars of other people.’ And you could see them talking to each other, as if, ‘Who is this one?’”
Obi further alleged that the atmosphere had become so tense that some people now avoid publicly associating with him for fear of becoming targets.
“And I see people I know at the airport, they will not greet me because they are fearing that if they greet me…” he said.
He also claimed that some supporters had discouraged him from attending their family events because of possible consequences.
“And I have people send me invitations and say, ‘My son, my daughter is wedding, but please don’t come,’” he added.
Obi did not provide documentary evidence to support the allegations during the interview.
As of the time of filing this report, the Federal Government had not responded to the claims.