NDC presidential candidate Peter Obi has said he is not concerned about the possibility of all 36 state governors backing President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027, insisting that governors do not determine electoral outcomes.
Speaking in an interview with Advocacy for Good Governance, Obi pointed to his performance in the 2023 presidential election, noting that he secured victories in 12 states despite not having the support of any serving governor.
He compared his performance with those of other leading candidates in the election, stating that former Kano State Governor Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso won only Kano State, while the APC, PDP and Labour Party candidates each recorded victories in 12 states.
Obi further alleged that he would have won two additional states if not for electoral malpractice.
According to him, the support of political officeholders is less important than the backing of ordinary voters.
“Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso won one state, Kano. APC, PDP and Labour Party all won 12 states each. And in it I lost 2 by the process of rigging, so I would have had 14 states. It doesn’t matter whether they took all the governors,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor maintained that electoral success depends more on the will of the people than on endorsements from governors or other political figures, as attention gradually shifts toward the 2027 general elections.
