…Assures Supporters of Free, Fair Polls
…Kwankwaso says ruling party can lose despite having 30 governors

The Presidential Candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has assured supporters that no one would intimidate them or prevent their votes from counting during the 2027 general elections.

Obi, who spoke on Thursday at a town hall meeting with voters in Port Harcourt tagged “Obi Talks Nigeria,” said the 2027 elections would be more difficult to manipulate than the 2023 polls.

He urged supporters to defend their votes at polling units, stressing that the limited number of election officials at each polling booth would make it difficult for them to intimidate voters.

“​​Nobody will intimidate us again at the polling booth. If you get to any polling booth today, the highest number of officials you see in any polling booth is five.

“The average number of voters is 40 to 50. There’s no way five people will intimidate 50 people. And we will make sure we have coordination to ensure that such intimidation does not arise,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor also warned against attempts to manipulate the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), saying the party would deploy mechanisms to counter possible technical challenges.

“There will be so many IReVs this time. This time around, if there is network glitch, we will give them another one that has no glitch.

“By allowing them to continue, that glitch will glitch our lives. That’s what we are suffering today. This time all of us will rescue our country,” he said.

Obi further called on Nigerians to insist that their votes count, saying citizens must take responsibility for protecting the electoral process.

Meanwhile, the party’s Vice Presidential Candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, said Nigerians needed a president with the experience, commitment and capacity to address the country’s challenges.

Kwankwaso urged voters not to repeat what he described as past mistakes, insisting that the 2027 election presented another opportunity for Nigerians to choose competent leadership.

“I believe that Nigerians must not make mistakes again. This is the time to get it right. 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,” he said.

Kwankwaso also dismissed the suggestion that the ruling party’s control of more than 30 states would guarantee victory in the presidential election.

He cited the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan in the 2015 presidential election, despite being the incumbent, as evidence that political control of states does not automatically translate into victory at the national level.

“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,” he said.

Kwankwaso further criticised the performance of some governors, particularly in the northern part of the country, arguing that their records could affect their parties’ prospects in 2027.

Also speaking, the NDC governorship candidate in Rivers State, Chief Dumo Lulu-Briggs, thanked the party’s leadership and supporters for their resilience and patience.

Lulu-Briggs pledged that the party would work towards building a Nigeria that works for its citizens, while assuring party leaders that its supporters in Rivers State were prepared to participate actively in the political process.

“We want to thank you for your sacrifice. I want to assure you that we shall have a Nigeria that works,” he said.

He added: “We are not afraid. Courage is not the absence of fear. But fear that has set us free.”