Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has declared that he is prepared to risk his life to protect his vote in the 2027 general elections.
Obi made the declaration on Thursday during a town hall meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, where he urged Nigerians not to allow intimidation or fear to prevent them from participating actively in the electoral process.
He also cautioned the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, against manipulating or altering election results during the forthcoming election.
According to Obi, voters must stand together at polling units to prevent intimidation, arguing that the number of voters at most polling stations would outweigh the officials present.
“No one will scare us anymore at the polling station,” Obi said.
He noted that an average polling unit could have between 40 and 50 voters, compared with about five officials, arguing that voters should be capable of resisting attempts to intimidate or control them.
“This time, we will all save our country together. Someone said, ‘We are ready to die.’ Let me tell you, I’m ready to die too,” he said.
Obi also expressed concern about possible attempts to interfere with the electronic transmission of election results through the INEC Result Viewing Portal, IReV.
He alleged that attempts could be made to exploit network challenges affecting the system, stressing the need for adequate technological preparations ahead of the election.
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“Yes, they will attempt to influence the IReV. But let me tell you, this time it won’t be easy. There will be a lot of IReVs this time,” he said.
The former Anambra State governor suggested that alternative network arrangements should be provided where connectivity problems occur during the transmission of results.
“If there’s a problem with the network, we’ll provide them with a new one that doesn’t have the problem,” he said.
Obi warned that allowing technical glitches or weaknesses in the electoral transmission system to persist could have serious consequences for the credibility of the election.
“By letting them keep going, that glitch will mess up our lives. That is what we are suffering today,” he added.
His comments come as political parties and presidential candidates intensify preparations for the 2027 general elections, with electoral transparency, voter intimidation and the electronic transmission of results emerging as major issues in the political debate.