Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has indicated that the 2027 general election could mark his final attempt at becoming Nigeria’s president.
Obi said the likelihood of seeking the presidency again after 2027 is “very slim,” citing the country’s informal power-sharing arrangement that rotates the office of the president between the North and the South.
The former Anambra State governor made the disclosure during an interview with media personality Rufai Oseni.
Responding to a question on whether he would contest again if unsuccessful in 2027, Obi said his decision would depend on the outcome of the election and the region expected to produce the next president.
“For me, it depends on what happens. I don’t want to say it because people might think that I’m saying it because of some people,” he said.
Obi explained that if the presidency returns to the North in 2031 in line with the zoning principle, he would be 78 years old by the time it is expected to rotate back to the South, making another presidential bid unlikely.
“I said because if I don’t run now, by the next time it comes, believing in the zoning formula, it will go to the North.
“If it goes North in 2031, by the time it comes again to the South, I will be 78 years old, and I don’t think I would be doing this at that age,” he stated.
However, Obi did not completely rule out another presidential contest, saying he could reconsider if the presidency remains in the South beyond 2027.
“If it’s still in the South in the next election, maybe, but the probability is very slim. I don’t know until after the outcome of the 2027 election,” he added.
