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Claim: An X user has alleged that Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said he cannot defeat President Bola Tinubu, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the 2027 presidential election and was contesting only because young supporters persuaded him.
Verdict: False. No evidence shows Obi made the statement. Also, the video attached to the claim does not contain the alleged statement.
Full Text
An X user, Sistaliano, claimed Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said he cannot defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
According to the post (archived here), Obi wanted to quit the presidential race, but young supporters persuaded him to continue, as Nigerians would consider him “unserious” if he withdrew.
The post included a 1.47-minute video of Obi addressing a town hall of Nigerian diaspora supporters in Manchester, United Kingdom, on Oct. 18, 2026.
The post’s caption reads: “I know I can’t beat Tinubu at the polls, but we can’t have an election where nobody challenges him. I wanted to quit, but the young guys around me said that if I didn’t contest, Nigerians would see me as unserious. That’s why I’m contesting.” — Peter Obi’
As of the time of filing, the post had garnered over 168,000 views, 1,100 likes, 485 comments and 504 reposts.
Screenshot of the post by @Sistaliano
DUBAWA decided to verify the claim because it could mislead voters and shape public perception ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Verification
DUBAWA transcribed the video and found that Obi did not make such a statement.
In the video, Obi does not mention Tinubu or say he cannot win the 2027 presidential election. He also does not refer to quitting the race or being persuaded by young supporters to contest.
Instead, he appealed to supporters and urged them to choose leaders with a record of public service.
Obi said: “I need you, I need you, that’s why I am having lunch with you today. This lunch is for you to say, hey, wait a minute. This man came, and what he said is the reality of our problem.
“So let’s deal with it. We have people at home who are begging you for money. Tell them no. Tell them let’s put somebody who has proven… I said I am not a saint, but at least I have saved something. And I wasn’t the only person who has been governor.
“So at least let’s start with this one, who may be less corrupt. We’re not saying he’s not, but less…
‘That’s how countries change. Countries change by people saying, ‘Hey, wait a minute. Enough of this!’ And we know what that problem is. It is that money that they are sharing, that money they are using to buy property; it is why there’s no school, it is why there is no hospital.”
DUBAWA also reviewed a longer, one-hour-and-29-minute recording of the meeting. After transcribing the video, it found that Obi did not make the alleged statement.
Rather, he spoke about campaigning for the 2027 presidential election while taking more time to listen to Nigerians.
He said he remained involved in politics because he believed he had no alternative but to try to help change Nigeria.
Obi urged Nigerians to vote in the election, saying only Nigerians could solve the country’s problems.
He also rejected the narrative that Lagos is a no-man’s land, comparing it with Manchester, where people from different backgrounds can live freely without the city being considered a no-man’s land.
In a post on his official X page, Obi said he discussed how corruption and leadership failures had hindered Nigeria’s development. He urged Nigerians to treat the 2027 general election as a matter of national survival.
His account of the meeting did not support the claim that he said he could not defeat Tinubu or that he was contesting only because young supporters persuaded him.
Conclusion
The claim that Peter Obi said he could not defeat President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election is false.
The video accompanying the claim does not contain the alleged statement, and Obi’s subsequent account of the meeting makes no such admission.