2027: Obi Supporters Won’t Trust INEC With Their Votes — Aisha Yesufu

Political activist and member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Aisha Yesufu, has said supporters of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will not rely solely on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to protect their votes in the 2027 presidential election.

Yesufu said Obi’s supporters would deploy representatives to polling units across the country and monitor election materials and results throughout the collation process, from polling units to the final collation centre in Abuja.

She stated this during an interview with Arise News while discussing Obi’s chances in the 2027 presidential election and lessons from the 2023 general election.

According to her, the experience of the 2023 election had made it necessary for voters and political groups to take greater responsibility for protecting their votes.

“Yes, we are going to have people at every polling unit to protect the votes,” Yesufu said.

She said the proposed monitoring would cover every stage of the collation process, including the ward, local government and state levels, until the final declaration in Abuja.

“No result sheet will leave our sight. We will follow the results from the polling units all the way to Abuja,” she said.

Yesufu said the strategy was aimed at ensuring that the results eventually declared reflected the votes cast by Nigerians.

The activist further said she had “zero trust” in INEC, security agencies and the judiciary, insisting that citizens could not afford to leave the protection of their votes entirely to government institutions.

She said the 2027 election would require stronger grassroots mobilisation, with supporters concentrating on polling units and the protection of election results rather than relying solely on political rallies and campaigns.

Speaking on the recent incident in Benue State, where Obi’s movement was reportedly obstructed during a visit to the state, Yesufu defended the former Anambra State governor’s decision not to engage those who allegedly blocked his convoy.

She argued that Obi had other engagements to attend that day and should not allow what she described as “miscreants” to dictate his movements.

Yesufu also expressed confidence that Obi could win the 2027 presidential election, arguing that Nigerians were increasingly concerned about the effects of economic hardship and insecurity on their daily lives.

She criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu, describing it as a “colossal failure” and arguing that claims of improved macroeconomic indicators had not translated into better living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.

According to her, Nigerians are grappling with rising costs, insecurity and declining purchasing power, adding that economic policies should ultimately be measured by their impact on citizens.

Yesufu said Obi had an advantage because, in her view, voters were increasingly focused on competence, character and capacity rather than religious considerations.

She also expressed confidence that Obi would retain Lagos in 2027 and make significant gains across other parts of the country.

Yesufu, who said she was not seeking an elective position, said her focus was on mobilising supporters for the 2027 presidential election and ensuring that their votes were protected.

She said the experience of the 2023 election had demonstrated the need for stronger grassroots organisation if voters’ choices were to determine the final outcome of the 2027 presidential election.