Agorehmi Bright, Reporting
PETER Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has declared he is prepared to lose his life in defence of his votes during the 2027 general election, as he rallied supporters in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
Speaking at a town hall event styled “Obi Talks Nigeria”, the former Labour Party candidate issued a stark warning to those he accused of plotting to manipulate the electoral process, vowing that this time round, Nigerians would not be silenced.
“Nobody will intimidate us again at the polling booth,” Mr Obi declared. “If you get to any polling booth today, the highest number of officials you see is five. The average number of voters is 40 to 50. There is no way five people will intimidate 50 people.”
‘This Time, We Will Rescue Our Country’
Drawing a line in the sand ahead of the 2027 contest, Mr Obi urged his followers to turn out in force on election day and resist any attempts to suppress their votes.
“This time all of us will rescue our country. Somebody said, ‘We are ready to die.’ Let me tell you, I’m ready to die too,” he told the crowd, to rapturous applause.
“We will make sure we have coordination to ensure that such intimidation does not arise. Yes, they will try to manipulate the IReV. But let me tell you, it will not be easy this time.”
The NDC candidate also addressed the technical failures that marred the 2023 election, when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) failed to upload results electronically due to the alleged collapse of the IReV system. Critics at the time accused the commission of exploiting the “glitch” to rig the outcome against the opposition.
“There will be so many IReVs this time,” Mr Obi insisted. “If there is a network glitch, we will give them another one that has no glitch. By allowing them to continue, that glitch will glitch our lives. That is what we are suffering today.”
Kwankwaso: ‘Don’t Make the Same Mistake Again’
Mr Obi was joined by his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, who appealed to voters to learn from past errors and choose competent leaders with the capacity to tackle the nation’s mounting challenges.
Despite the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) currently controlling over 30 states, Mr Kwankwaso insisted the party would still lose the next election.
“I believe that Nigerians must not make mistakes again. This is the time to get it right,” he said. “And anything to the contrary, I believe people, if they make a mistake, certainly people will regret making that mistake. Because it will be too costly for the people and the country.”
Citing historical precedent, he added: “Jonathan was the president, the sitting president lost the election. I’ve given you an example, especially those who think because they have over 30 governors, they cannot lose the election. That was a very big mistake.”
Both Mr Obi and former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who ran under the PDP, had rejected President Bola Tinubu’s declaration as winner of the 2023 election and pursued legal challenges, though the courts ultimately upheld Mr Tinubu’s victory.
With the 2027 election now firmly on the horizon, Mr Obi’s fiery rhetoric signals a campaign prepared for battle — both at the ballot box and beyond.
