By Opeyemi Adelakun
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) Peter Obi has urged Nigerians to stay and defend their votes during the 2027 elections, warning that electoral manipulation will persist unless citizens take responsibility for protecting the democratic process.
Obi made the call during a recent visit to Washington, D.C., United States, in a video that gained traction on social media on Saturday.
Speaking on the state of Nigeria’s democracy, the former Anambra State governor argued that the integrity of elections cannot be safeguarded by politicians alone, stressing that voters must remain at polling units after casting their ballots to ensure transparency during the counting process.
According to him, elections are often rigged because citizens fail to stay behind and monitor the process until results are announced.
“Elections are rigged in Nigeria because Nigerians want it to be rigged. It’s as simple as ABC. I will do whatever is possible to protect the votes, but unless Nigerians decide that their votes will count, it will not count,” Obi said.
He advised voters against leaving polling centres immediately after voting, insisting that they should remain and witness the counting of votes.
“If you vote and you stay in your polling booth and say that the votes must be counted here, it will be counted. But because our politics is transactional, the average Nigerian doesn’t know who is his problem,” he stated.
Obi further criticised the tendency of some voters to leave polling units and rely solely on prayers for electoral outcomes.
“So, an average Nigerian will vote and then go home or go to night vigil, whilst his night vigil should actually be to stay and let them count his votes,” he added.
The former governor maintained that Nigeria’s greatest challenge remains poor leadership, despite the country’s abundant human and natural resources.
“The question you all should ask yourselves today is: what is the problem of Nigeria? Nigeria has only one problem, leadership. Political leadership. Every other thing God gave to Nigeria,” Obi said.
He urged Nigerians to become more involved in the electoral process and demand accountable leadership, insisting that meaningful national progress can only be achieved when citizens actively participate in protecting their votes.
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