2027: Peter Obi Urges Nigerians to Defend Their Votes, Says Poverty Worsening Daily

Benjamin Nworie in Abakaliki

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 general elections, Mr. Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to defend their votes at the polls, insisting that the outcome of the election would ultimately depend on the resolve of the electorate rather than the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He also lamented the worsening poverty and hunger in the country, describing the quest to change Nigeria as “the ultimate sacrifice” in the face of deepening economic hardship.

Obi disclosed this yesterday, after attending the burial service of the late Pa Okaji Simon Okorie Abaa, father of the NDC senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South, Chief Linus Okorie, at Isiama Primary School, Onicha Igboeze, in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Speaking on preparations for the 2027 general elections, Obi said his confidence was not in INEC alone but in Nigerians’ determination to defend their votes.

He described his relationship with Linus Okorie as longstanding, recalling that they had worked together in the Labour Party before joining the NDC.

“We have worked together before in the Labour Party and now we are in the NDC. That shows we have a close relationship. We are here today to pay our last respects to his late father.

“I pray that God Almighty, who gave Papa a long life and has now called him home, will grant him eternal rest and give the family and all of us the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss. May God continue to bless the family,” Obi said.

“It is not about confidence in INEC. Do I still have confidence in the people? Because it is the people that will determine what INEC will do. If the people insist that their votes will count, their votes will count.

“It is for Nigerians to look at what is happening in the country today and ask themselves what the future holds for our children in this enterprise called Nigeria. Are we going to continue in this direction? Anybody talking about changing Nigeria today is making the ultimate sacrifice because we cannot continue like this,” he added.

The former Anambra State governor lamented the worsening economic situation, saying poverty and hunger had reached alarming levels.

“Everyday poverty is increasing. Everyday hunger is increasing. You don’t even need World Bank reports to know this because you can see it in the villages.

“They are saying that about 70 million Nigerians are facing acute hunger. What are we going to do about it? Are we going to continue like this? No. That is not possible,” he added.

Obi, who maintained that Nigerians were already suffering from economic hardship, stressed that there wouldn’t be any harassment of his supporters during the 2027 general elections by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) higher than hunger and deprivations faced by Nigerians.

“For me, every Nigerian is already being harassed by hunger. People are being harassed by the worsening situation in the country. Everybody is affected.

“It is time for Nigerians to tell those who are harassing us that enough is enough,” he said.