Peter Obi Doubts 2031 Presidential Run
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has stated that the probability of him seeking the presidency again in 2031 is very slim. He made the remark during an interview with media personality Rufai Oseni.
When asked whether he would run again if he failed to win the 2027 presidential election, Obi said his decision would hinge on the political landscape after that poll.
“For me, it depends on what happens. I don’t want to say it because people might think that I’m saying it because of some people,” he remarked.
Obi recalled a recent encounter with a secondary‑school pupil who questioned his future ambitions.
“You will not believe it, this morning a secondary school boy asked me a question, ‘If you run this time, will you run again?’ And I said no. He asked why?”
He continued, “I said because if I don’t run now, by the next time it comes, believing in the zoning formula, it will go to the North.”
Obi explained that if the presidency shifts to the North in 2031 and remains there for two terms, he would be 78 years old when the office is expected to return to the South.
“If it goes North in 2031, by the time it comes again to the South, I will be 78 years old, and I don’t think I would be doing this at that age,” he added.
Although he did not completely rule out another bid, Obi said he could reconsider his stance if the presidency stayed in the South after the 2027 election, though he described that scenario as unlikely.
Peter Obi summed up his view: “If it’s still in the South in the next election, maybe, but the probability is very slim. I don’t know until after the outcome of the 2027 election.”
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