The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to participate massively in the 2027 general elections and ensure their votes are protected from the polling units to the final declaration of results.
Obi made the call in a post on his official X handle after a series of engagements with party supporters, stakeholders and residents in Kogi, Benue and Enugu states.
The former Anambra State governor said he commenced the latest phase of his consultations in Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, where he met with party members and stakeholders alongside the NDC’s Kogi East senatorial candidate, High Chief Peter Ameh.
He said discussions focused on some of the major challenges facing Nigerians, including insecurity, healthcare, education, unemployment and poverty.
Obi urged his supporters to remain committed to the democratic process and take an active role in ensuring that their votes are not compromised.
“We urged our supporters to remain dedicated to the democratic process, turn out in large numbers to vote, and, above all, safeguard and defend their votes from the polling unit through the final declaration of results,” Obi said.
The NDC presidential candidate also visited Otukpa in Ogbadibo Local Government Area of Benue State and Obollo Afor in Enugu State, where he interacted with residents and traders along the routes.
According to him, the concerns raised during the engagements were largely similar, with citizens demanding greater security, employment opportunities, functional hospitals and schools, and better opportunities to improve their livelihoods.
“Across all these engagements, the concerns expressed by our people remain essentially the same. They seek security in their communities, meaningful employment opportunities for our youths, access to properly functioning hospitals and schools for their children, and the means and resources to lead decent, dignified lives.
“These are not excessive demands. They represent the basic expectations citizens hold of a government dedicated to their welfare. As we move forward on this journey, our message remains unequivocal: Nigeria can succeed, and government can be made to serve its people,” Obi said.
Obi’s latest call came days after he told supporters at a town hall meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, that he was prepared to stand with Nigerians determined to protect their votes in the 2027 election.
Responding to a supporter who declared that Nigerians were “ready to die” to defend their mandate, Obi said he was equally prepared to make the same sacrifice.
“Don’t be intimidated. Somebody said, ‘We are ready to die.’ Let me tell you, I’m equally ready to die. So you’re not alone,” he said.
The presidential hopeful also warned that attempts could be made to manipulate the electoral process but expressed confidence that Nigerians would be better prepared to resist such efforts.
Presidential Race
Obi is seeking the presidency for the second consecutive election cycle after contesting the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the Labour Party.
He finished third in the 2023 election 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 challenged the outcome in court, alleging electoral irregularities. The Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal dismissed the petition in September 2023, while the Supreme Court subsequently upheld Tinubu’s victory.
With the 2027 election approaching, opposition politicians have intensified realignment and coalition-building efforts. Obi has since moved to the NDC, which unveiled him as its presidential candidate in May.
He is running alongside former Kano State governor Rabiu Kwankwaso as his running mate.
