The Big Tent Coalition for Obi/Kwankwaso has rejected a THISDAY report of October 14, 2026 suggesting that the presidential candidate of Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, was lacking from the coverage debate forward of the 2027 normal election, insisting that he has persistently introduced coverage alternate options on important nationwide points.
The coalition additionally demanded that THISDAY give its proper of reply the identical front-page prominence and visibility because the newspaper’s October 14, 2026 lead story, titled, “2027 Presidential Poll: Atiku Brings Tinubu into Policy Debate, Obi Missing.”
In an announcement by its Director of Media and Communications, Charles Odibo, titled, “Right of Reply: THISDAY’s False Narrative on Peter Obi: Nothing Could Be Further from the Truth,” the coalition described the report as deceptive and inaccurate.
It stated, “Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and the main candidate on this race, has been persistently, publicly and substantively on the forefront of coverage discussions and the presentation of concrete alternate options, greater than another presidential candidate.
“To suggest he is ‘missing’ from the policy debate is a distortion that does a disservice to Nigerians and to responsible journalism.”
The coalition said that Obi had persistently engaged Nigerians on important coverage points by means of interviews, tv appearances, and different public platforms, somewhat than relying solely on press statements or political surrogates.
It stated, “Obi does not govern by press statements or through surrogates. He speaks directly to Nigerians on the issues that matter.”
Describing him as probably the most interviewed presidential candidate within the historical past of Nigeria’s Fourth Republic, the group stated he had continued to supply coverage alternate options and topic himself to public scrutiny.
On electrical energy technology and transmission, the coalition stated Obi had repeatedly advocated elevated funding in technology capability, complete reforms of transmission and distribution infrastructure, and decentralisation the place needed.
It added that his method included creating an enabling setting to draw non-public funding whereas making certain accountability and reliability within the energy sector.
Obi’s focus, in response to the coalition, remained ending persistent electrical energy shortages and making energy provide a driver of manufacturing and industrialisation.
On the economic system, the group stated Obi had persistently known as for a transition from a consumption-driven economic system to a production-based system by means of funding in agriculture, manufacturing, stable minerals, and worth addition.
It additionally listed focused incentives for productive sectors, help for small and medium-sized enterprises, and the removing of structural bottlenecks that made native manufacturing uncompetitive amongst his proposed measures.
“He has repeatedly stated that leadership must measure success by what the nation produces, not merely what it consumes or borrows,” the coalition stated.
On insecurity, notably in northern Nigeria, the group stated Obi had advocated a complete safety structure combining intelligence-driven operations, neighborhood engagement, know-how, and the political will to guard lives and livelihoods.
It maintained that farmers should be capable of return safely to their farmlands and resume agricultural actions, including that insecurity shouldn’t stay an endless political speaking level whereas residents continued to undergo.
The coalition additionally highlighted Obi’s place on main healthcare, saying he has persistently advocated funding in main healthcare centres, preventive care and fundamental well being infrastructure.
It stated the measures had been important to bettering human improvement outcomes, boosting productiveness, lowering poverty, and strengthening entry to important providers.
The assertion stated, “These positions are on the public record. They are not hidden. They are not absent. They are available for any serious journalist or citizen to examine.”
The coalition additionally cited Obi’s October 11, 2026 criticism of the federal authorities’s 30-day gas worth discount at NNPC Retail stations, which he reportedly described as reactive political optics somewhat than sound coverage.
According to the group, Obi questioned the attain and potential influence of the momentary intervention, stating that roughly 900 NNPC Retail stations out of an estimated 24,000 petrol stations nationwide would account for lower than 4 per cent of the retailers.
The assertion stated Obi had questioned “what lasting impact a temporary discount of less than five per cent could have on poverty, unemployment, insecurity, or productivity”.
It added that he advocated a broader method to public help, extending subsidy help past petrol to agriculture, healthcare, schooling, and infrastructure, whereas prioritising insurance policies able to genuinely lowering the price of residing.
Further faulting THISDAY’s presentation of the coverage debate, the coalition stated the report created the flawed impression that Obi had been absent from discussions on the nation’s challenges, regardless of his repeated public interventions.
It, subsequently, demanded that the newspaper publish its response with the identical prominence accorded to the unique report.
The Big Tent Coalition for Obi/Kwankwaso said, “We, therefore, demand that THISDAY Newspaper afford this ‘Right of Reply’ the same front-page prominence and visibility that it gave to the original story. Anything less would compound the injury already done to the facts and to the integrity of the public discourse.”
The coalition urged the media to make sure that political reporting mirrored candidates’ positions precisely, stressing that Nigerians deserve knowledgeable discussions based mostly on information somewhat than selective narratives.
The assertion added, “Nigerians deserve accurate reporting. They deserve policy debate grounded in truth, not selective narratives. Peter Obi has never been missing from the issues. He has been leading on them.”
Sunday Ehigiator
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