Peter Obi has accepted the Nigeria Democratic Congress nomination and will run for president in January, setting up a likely three-way rematch with President Bola Tinubu and a fragmented opposition.
Obi left an opposition alliance less than a month ago, dimming hopes of a unified challenger. The election will hinge on voter concerns about rising living costs and widespread insecurity, while former VP Atiku Abubakar and other smaller-party leaders also prepare campaigns.
LAGOS, June 1 — Peter Obi has formally accepted his party's nomination and will run for president in January, setting up a renewed contest against incumbent Bola Tinubu amid a fractured opposition.
Obi was declared winner of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) primary on Sunday, less than a month after he quit an alliance that had sought to present a single opposition candidate. His acceptance disappointed some coalition backers who had hoped he would rejoin a united front.
'We must address insecurity with resolve and urgency, for no nation can thrive while its citizens live in trepidation,' Obi said in a statement late on Sunday.
The move largely sets the stage for a repeat of the three-way contest seen in 2023. The election will test whether public anger over rising living costs and persistent insecurity can be translated into votes against President Tinubu, or whether the anti-government vote will again be split across multiple challengers.
Nigeria is grappling with overlapping security crises that extend far beyond the jihadist insurgency in the northeast, where Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province have been active for more than 15 years. In the northwest, heavily armed gangs known locally as "bandits" carry out mass kidnappings and raids on villages and schools, while central states endure recurring violence tied to land and grazing disputes.
Voters will also judge Tinubu's economic reforms, including the removal of fuel and electricity subsidies and the ending of currency controls — measures that have won investor support even as many Nigerians see their incomes and savings erode. Higher global oil prices related to the Iran conflict have added to domestic fuel-price pressure.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the runner-up in 2023, recently secured the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ticket and is expected to run, marking what would be his seventh presidential bid. Leaders of several smaller parties are also expected to enter the race, increasing the likelihood of a divided opposition.
The emerging lineup points to a tightly contested campaign where voters will weigh competing promises on security and the economy — and decide which candidate can best address both.
Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Andrew Heavens.
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