By Charles Olewezi
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, on Monday, announced that he will no longer respond to “attacks, insinuations, or provocations from political surrogates whose principals are themselves candidates for the 2027 presidential election, but are either incapacitated or lack a record to defend.”
A statement by the Peter Obi Media Office regretted that the “hired surrogates” have been indulging in “all kinds of fabrications to keep their principal’s name afloat, and they get elated when they think they have successfully gotten the candidate’s attention.”
According to the statement signed by Media Office Spokesperson, Idris Zekeri Jnr: “The Peter Obi Media Office likes to state unequivocally that our principal, Mr Peter Obi, will no longer respond to attacks, insinuations, or provocations from political surrogates whose principals are themselves candidates for the 2027 Presidential election but are either incapacitated or lack a record to defend.
“These hired surrogates indulge in all kinds of fabrications to keep their principal’s name afloat, and they get elated when they think they have successfully gotten the candidate’s attention.
“A Presidential election is a contest between the individuals whose names will appear on the ballot and who are asking Nigerians to entrust them with leadership of the country, not between candidates and their hired defenders.
“Our candidate, Mr Peter Obi, is a presidential contender. He stands by his words, defends his record, and is prepared to discuss his ideas openly with Nigerians to enable them to make a well-informed choice.
“Those seeking to govern Nigeria should have the same courage. We challenge every presidential candidate hiding behind surrogates to step forward and speak for themselves. Defend your record. Explain your policies. Address the concerns Nigerians have. Debate your fellow candidates. Do not send proxies to fight battles you are unwilling or unable to face directly.
“It is politically convenient to employ surrogates to make reckless accusations, distort facts, and throw mud, while the candidate remains safely removed from the fallout. But Nigerians deserve better than remote-controlled presidential politics.
“Mr Peter Obi will not partake in that spectacle. From now on, surrogates are not our constituency of response. Candidates are. If a presidential candidate has an issue with Mr Obi, let that candidate speak directly. If there are policy disagreements, let the candidates debate openly. If there is a challenge to Mr Obi’s record, let the challenger present their own record as well. No more proxies. No more political ventriloquism. No more responses to individuals who are not on the ballot.
“The 2027 election will not be decided by the loudest surrogate. It will be decided by Nigerians. And Nigerians deserve to hear directly from those seeking their votes. If your name is on the ballot, Peter Obi will engage with you. If you are not on the ballot, Peter Obi has no reason to engage with you.
“We are committed to the Nigerian people—listening to their suffering, respecting their aspirations, and focusing on the urgent task of rescuing our nation from the failures of leadership. The era of responding through surrogates is over. Let the candidates come forward. A New Nigeria is Possible but certainly not with surrogates.”