The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has appealed to Nigerians to come out en-mass to vote in the 2027 general elections and defend their ballots from the polling unit to the final release of results.
Obi made the plea in a post on his official X Twitter, after a series of encounters with party supporters, stakeholders and people across Kogi, Benue and Enugu states.
The ex governor of Anambra State said he began the latest round of his engagements in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, where he met stakeholders, stakeholders, and party members with the NDC’s Kogi East Senatorial candidate, High Chief Peter Ameh.
Channels TV reported that Obi said the conversations focused on some of the biggest issues facing Nigerians, including insecurity, healthcare, education, unemployment and poverty.
He told his followers to stay dedicated to the democratic process and to be active in making sure their votes are protected.
“We called on our supporters to remain firm in the democratic process, to come out en masse to vote and above all, to secure and defend their votes from the polling unit to the final declaration of results,” Obi added.
The NDC candidate also made an overnight stop at Otukpa in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State and Obollo Afor in Enugu State where he engaged with villagers and businessmen plying their trade along the routes.
He said the issues expressed throughout the encounters were mostly the same and included the need for security, jobs, functional hospitals and schools and opportunity for residents to better their living.
“In all of these engagements, the concerns our people raise are essentially the same. They want safety in their neighbourhoods; good jobs for our young people; functioning hospitals and schools for their children; and the resources and capacity to live decent, dignified lives
“These are reasonable demands. They are the least that citizens expect from a government that professes to care for their welfare. Obi said, “Our message going forward on this journey is clear, Nigeria can work, government can be made to work for the people.”
Ready To Die
The recent demand by the former governor of Anambra after his declaration to his supporters at a town hall meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, days ago that he was ready to stand alongside Nigerians who were ready to protect their votes ahead of the 2027 election.
Obi, reacting to a supporter who declared that Nigerians were “ready to die” to preserve their mandate, added, “Don’t be intimidated. “We are ready to die,” someone said.
“Now let me say I am equally prepared to die. So you are not alone.”
The presidential hopeful also cautioned that there could be attempts to rig the voting process but expressed confidence that Nigerians would be better equipped to fight such attempts.
Presidential Race
Obi is contesting for the presidency for the second time after his 2023 run on the Labour Party platform where he finished third with 6,101,533 votes, behind Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party who secured 6,984,520 votes and Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress who won with 8,794,726 votes.
Obi and the Labour Party took the results to court over charges of electoral fraud. In September 2023, his petition was dismissed by the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal, and then affirmed by the Supreme Court, which confirmed Tinubu’s win.
Opposition MPs have been busy re-aligning and creating coalitions ahead of the 2027 election. Obi has now defected to the NDC, which named him as its presidential candidate in May. He is the running mate to the former governor of Kano State, Rabiu Kwankwaso.
His main opposition competitor, Atiku, is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) alongside former Rivers State governor Rotimi Amaechi as his running partner.
The incumbent president Tinubu will also be seeking a second term for the nation’s top office.
“The 2027 general elections will begin on January 16, 2027, according to the INEC timetable. The final voter register is due on 11 January with presidential and National Assembly elections slated for 16 January.
Political campaigns will conclude on February 18 and a potential runoff will take place on February 28, with gubernatorial and State Assembly elections scheduled on March 6, 2027.
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