Former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has reaffirmed that she would support former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi in the 2027 presidential election. The former World Bank Vice President for Africa said her position had not changed because Obi still ranks above other major contenders based on the leadership standards she applied during the 2023 election.
Ezekwesili made the clarification during an appearance on Arise TV’s Prime Time programme on Monday. She explained that her assessment of the 2023 presidential candidates focused on their capacity to govern effectively and deliver competent leadership. According to her, applying the same criteria today would still lead her to support Obi.
“In 2023, I made it very clear that, using the criteria on which I see leadership either fail or succeed to govern well, the other two candidates score considerably lower than what you would assign to former Governor Obi, and so I was going to stand with Governor Obi.
“I don’t think that anything has really significantly changed,” she said.
Although Ezekwesili backs Peter Obi, she cautioned against making Nigeria’s political future entirely about one individual. The former minister said her interest was in the kind of leadership structure and governance system capable of producing meaningful change.
“Don’t make this about Peter Obi. I don’t want us to personalise. I’m interested in the construct,” she said.
Ezekwesili also expressed concern about what she described as the declining value attached to human life and dignity in Nigeria. She argued that the country’s governance structure had failed to adequately protect citizens and address the conditions affecting their lives. According to her, Nigerians should reject the idea that the country’s current situation represents an unavoidable national destiny.
“The greatest tragedy of the country is this resignation; that this is our destiny. I say no, this is by design. It is not our destiny; this is by design,” she said.
Ezekwesili urged Nigerians to become more deliberate about the leaders they elect at every level of government. She said citizens should not simply wait for political parties or established politicians to determine the country’s direction.
“I am challenging that and saying that Nigerians should at least vote for themselves. If no one votes for you in terms of the leaders you’re choosing, vote for yourselves,” she said.
The former minister also encouraged capable Nigerians to enter politics and contest elections. She said competent citizens should consider seeking elective positions at the local, state and federal levels instead of leaving political leadership entirely to established political actors. For Ezekwesili, changing Nigeria’s trajectory would require citizens to take greater responsibility for the leaders they choose and the governance system they demand.
Her comments come as opposition parties and political figures intensify consultations ahead of the 2027 presidential election, with questions over candidate selection, coalition-building and the search for an alternative political platform increasingly dominating the national conversation. While Ezekwesili backs Peter Obi based on her assessment of leadership capacity, she maintained that the broader objective should remain the creation of a governance system that places citizens, competence and human dignity at its centre.
