Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has criticised Nigeria’s political landscape, alleging that politicians facing corruption allegations often appear to escape scrutiny after joining the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Obi made the remarks during an appearance on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme broadcast on Sunday, July 26. He argued that Nigeria’s political parties have failed to develop clear ideological identities, leaving politics largely driven by personal ambition rather than guiding principles.
According to the former Anambra State governor, the absence of political ideology has weakened democratic values and encouraged party defections based on individual interests.
He claimed that the APC has created a perception that politicians accused of corruption are no longer viewed the same way once they become members of the ruling party.
“For me, there is no political party in Nigeria today that has an ideology. There is none. Otherwise, the ideology of the APC would be that if you are corrupt and you move to the APC, you are no longer corrupt,” Obi said during the interview.
Obi stressed that Nigeria’s leadership challenges would only be addressed by electing individuals who possess competence, integrity and genuine concern for the welfare of citizens, rather than politicians motivated by personal or political advantage.
The former presidential candidate also accused the APC-led administration of undermining opposition parties. He alleged that the internal crises affecting the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and previously the Labour Party (LP), were not merely coincidental.
According to him, the weakening of opposition parties aligns with the interests of the current administration. He further claimed that the judiciary has been negatively affected by the political environment surrounding these disputes.
Obi said that if elected president, his administration would protect Nigeria’s multi-party democracy by ensuring opposition parties operate independently without interference from government institutions or regulatory bodies.
Speaking on the 2027 presidential election, Obi dismissed suggestions that endorsements from state governors would automatically secure victory for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
He argued that the political preferences of governors do not necessarily reflect the wishes of voters in their respective states, maintaining that the electorate would ultimately determine the outcome of the next presidential election.
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