2027: Obi Is A Trader, Can’t Be President – Oshiomhole

Senator Adams Oshiomhole has criticised the presidential ambition of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate, Peter Obi, describing him as a trader whose business background makes him unsuitable to lead Nigeria.

Oshiomhole, a former governor of Edo State and senator representing Edo North, made the remarks during an appearance on TVC’s Beyond the Headlines programme on Monday .

He argued that traders were generally concerned with short-term calculations and returns, rather than the long-term planning required to transform a country.

“Obi is a trader. Traders have short-term calculations. They are not into long-term projections. They are not wired to think of what the situation will be in the long run,” Oshiomhole said.

The former governor also accused Obi of being more focused on importation than domestic production, alleging that his business activities contributed to the export of jobs and importation of unemployment.

“Obi’s business is to export jobs and import unemployment to the country. That is what he lives for. He’s a trader,” he said.

Oshiomhole further dismissed Obi’s pledge to serve only one term if elected president in 2027, describing the promise to transform Nigeria within four years as unrealistic.

He questioned how Obi could fix Nigeria in a single term when, according to him, the former Anambra State governor had not achieved all he promised during his tenure in the state.

“Do you really believe that anybody whose business is for real, who couldn’t fix a state in four years, he worked hard in eight years, he didn’t fix it… is telling you and me at our age that he just needs four years? That is the height of desperation,” Oshiomhole said.

He also questioned Obi’s political consistency, recalling that the former Anambra governor had previously pledged not to abandon the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), which he had described as a party associated with the memory of the late Igbo leader, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu.

According to Oshiomhole, Obi later left the party after completing his tenure as governor.

“But before daybreak, once his tenure ended, Obi became a political wanderer,” he said.

The senator also defended President Bola Tinubu’s economic policies, saying the administration had taken difficult decisions to reposition the Nigerian economy.

Oshiomhole said Tinubu was prepared to take painful decisions today for the benefit of the country in the future.

“Bola Ahmed Tinubu is someone who believes that for your tomorrow, we must do certain things today, painful as it may be,” he said.

He likened the administration’s economic reforms to a surgical operation, arguing that the country was beginning to experience the benefits despite criticisms from opposition politicians.

Oshiomhole also criticised some of Obi’s past comments and argued that the former governor’s campaign promise to fix Nigeria within four years lacked credibility.

The remarks come as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with Obi emerging as one of the leading opposition figures seeking to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Obi had previously maintained that he would serve only one term if elected president, arguing that a single four-year tenure would be sufficient to lay the foundation for Nigeria’s transformation.