Former presidential candidate and chieftain of the NDC, Peter Obi during an interview clip shared by News Central TV on X on Thursday, May 14, 2026. Obi spoke on issues surrounding the Independent National Electoral Commission, governance, leadership qualification and inclusion in government.
Responding to concerns raised by members of the opposition over the current chairman of INEC, Obi questioned the effectiveness of electoral administration under the present system. “The opposition are saying remove the current INEC chairman because they feel he’s partial,” the interviewer said.
In response, Obi said, “If anybody can tell me that we can use professors to run our election and it will be worse, I would have said capital no. I wrote to President INEC chairman, remember, he will not be here forever.”
When asked directly whether INEC operates as an agent of the president, Obi replied, “Yes, completely. Whatever he’s doing today, he’s acting the script written by the man who employed him.”
The former Anambra State governor also reacted to comments previously made by former Kano State governor, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, regarding qualification for the presidency.
The interviewer asked, “Would you say it was political expediency when Dr. Engineer Kwankwaso went to Chatham House and said that he is more qualified than the president?”
Obi responded, “I don’t think his claim was wrong. He said he’s more qualified because he has a PhD. I don’t have a PhD. But for what Nigeria needs today, Nigeria needs a well-created, well-built business from scratch.”
Speaking further on governance and inclusion, Obi addressed a question concerning the possible inclusion of persons living with disabilities in his cabinet if elected president. Asked how many disabled persons he would appoint as ministers, Obi replied, “All of us have disabilities. What they are doing now, we don’t even know. Everybody in Nigeria is disabled….See More
