Peter Obi said Wednesday that he and his supporters will not place the same level of trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ahead of the 2027 general election that they did in 2023.
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) and former Anambra State governor said the experience of the last presidential poll had taught them to take greater responsibility for protecting their votes.
Obi accused the previous INEC leadership of failing to meet expectations after giving public assurances of a transparent process.
“In 2023 we took things for granted. We believed INEC. We believed what they said they would do,” Obi said.
He claimed the then INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, had convinced the public he would conduct a fair election while allegedly working for the opposition.
“The INEC Chairman convinced the world that he would do the right thing, when in fact he was working for the opposition,” Obi said.
As a result, the NDC plans additional measures to monitor and safeguard votes rather than relying solely on the electoral body.
“This time, we will only trust them by doing the right thing ourselves,” he said.
Obi also announced plans to create a parallel results portal modelled on INEC’s system to allow independent monitoring of outcomes and improve transparency in 2027.
Reflecting on a recent meeting with supporters in Port Harcourt, Obi clarified that remarks about being ready to “die” for votes were symbolic.
“What I did in Port Harcourt was more about listening to the people. I was not doing the talking,” he said.
One supporter told him, “This time, we are ready to die for our votes.” Obi said he replied in kind to show solidarity.
“To encourage them, I said I was ready to die with them. It was symbolic. What we are saying is that we are prepared to ensure that our votes count — and they must count,” he added.
Electoral transparency and voter protection are expected to remain key issues as parties prepare for the 2027 polls.
