Peter Obi Cleared to Contest NDC Presidential Primary Ahead of 2027 Election

Former Anambra State governor and former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has been officially cleared to contest the presidential primary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The clearance followed a screening exercise conducted by the NDC National Screening Committee in Abuja, where party officials examined Obi’s credentials and assessed his eligibility to participate in the presidential race.

Chairman of the screening committee, Senator Sam Egwu, confirmed that Obi successfully met all constitutional and statutory requirements required to contest the election. According to Egwu, the committee was satisfied with Obi’s compliance with the party constitution, the Electoral Act, and the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended.

“This is to certify that, following the screening of His Excellency Peter Obi by the National Screening Committee of the Nigeria Democratic Congress… he is hereby cleared to contest in the presidential primaries of the party,” the committee stated.

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Reacting after the exercise, Obi disclosed via his official X account that the screening session lasted more than two and a half hours. He said committee members carefully reviewed his academic records, NYSC documents, age declaration, and other credentials while also questioning him on his plans and vision for Nigeria.

The latest development comes shortly after Obi emerged as the sole presidential aspirant of the NDC following the close of sales for the party’s presidential nomination forms.

The NDC had earlier announced that its presidential primary election would hold on May 29, 2026, in Abuja, while screening and appeals processes for aspirants are expected to continue through the week.

Political observers believe Obi’s emergence as the lone aspirant significantly boosts his chances of becoming the party’s consensus presidential candidate as opposition realignments continue ahead of the 2027 elections.

Obi, who served as governor of Anambra State between 2006 and 2014, remains one of Nigeria’s most prominent opposition figures following his strong performance in the 2023 presidential election.