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| Peter Obi |
The Peter Obi Media Office (POMO) has raised alarm over a growing double standard in how presidential candidates for the 2027 election are being judged, and welcomed that its candidate’s campaign has set a high bar.
In a statement signed by spokesperson Idris Zekeri Jr., the office said an unhealthy pattern has emerged: Peter Obi’s words and past choices are scrutinized relentlessly, with every allegation magnified, even when it’s disputed or requires context.
By contrast, the records of long-serving political actors receive leniency. Failed promises, worsening economic conditions, insecurity, and poor governance are often minimized, explained away, or altogether ignored.
The statement asked why the nation demands near-perfection from one contender while showing tolerance for those who have led and continue to lead Nigeria amid persistent crises. It noted the absurdity of focusing on how Obi moves while overlooking a president who allegedly flees to Europe to hide an unsavory past.
POMO called for balanced, fair reporting and scrutiny that holds every public figure to the same standard, so Nigerians can judge candidates by truth, not by selective attention.
Below is the full text of the statement:
The Peter Obi Media Office has observed the growing double standards in the scrutiny and evaluation of the presidential candidates for the 2027 election and is pleased that our candidate has set high standards.
However, there is something fundamentally wrong when the political establishment and sections of the media in a great and embattled nation like Nigeria seem more interested in searching for Peter Obi’s imperfections than confronting the corrupt records of those who have wielded and continue to wield power.
The Media Office has noted that every word of Peter Obi is dissected. His past decisions are resurrected. Every allegation is amplified - even when disputed or needing context. Meanwhile, records of failed promises, economic hardship, insecurity, and governance failures elsewhere are routinely softened, explained away, or forgotten.
A President abandons a troubled country to Europe to cover up his filthy past, but the nation is not questioning that but looking for how Obi takes every step. Why demand perfection from a candidate while tolerating failure in those who have governed or are still governing?
For emphasis, the Peter Obi Media Office encourages scrutiny of him, as is already happening with some, like Governor Charles Soludo, who is even manufacturing non-existent flaws after fruitless searches. But for God's sake, scrutinise everyone. Let us not use a microscope on Obi and a blindfold on others. Nigeria deserves equal standards, not selective outrage.
For us at the Peter Obi Media, the political discourse surrounding our principal often reveals a stark double standard in candidate evaluation. Supporters and critics alike often hold Obi to a standard of absolute purity, while giving pragmatic grace to traditional political figures.
We have noticed the leniency standard applied to some candidates. Traditional and corrupt candidates are judged according to a framework of political realism. Their past scandals, policy failures, systemic corruption allegations, or lack of transparency are often dismissed as "how politics works" or accepted as necessary compromises for political expediency.
Since Obi has built his campaign around reform, transparency, and breaking away from the status quo, voters naturally hold him to the high standard he set, which is fair. But legacy corrupt candidates, who have never promised moral purity, are not penalised for their lack of it.
Why must Peter Obi, a human being, be perfect, while every flaw in other candidates, like corruption, drugs, or lack of certificates, is explained away?
Obi is asking all his institutions to release his documents to the public, but others are asking courts to keep them from the public. If Obi errs, it is regarded as incompetence. When others err, it is “human.” When Obi changes his position, it is called inconsistency. When others do the same, it is “politics.” This is not objective scrutiny. It is selective outrage.
The media office is insisting that Nigerians scrutinise Obi but apply the same rigorous standard to every candidate. Nigeria does not need a perfect President. It needs the most competent, credible, and capable one. A New Nigeria is possible and will be O-K.
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