Political activist and Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) member, Aisha Yesufu, has said supporters of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will take an active role in protecting their votes during the 2027 presidential election rather than relying entirely on electoral institutions.
Yesufu said Obi’s supporters would deploy representatives to polling units across the country and track election materials and results throughout the collation process, from polling units through the various levels of collation to Abuja.
She made the remarks during an interview on Arise News, where she discussed Obi’s prospects in the 2027 election and the lessons supporters had drawn from the 2023 presidential election.
Protecting Votes From Polling Units to Abuja
According to Yesufu, the experience of the 2023 election had convinced many supporters that citizens and political groups needed to become more involved in monitoring the electoral process.
“Yes, we are going to have people at every polling unit to protect the votes,” Yesufu said.
She explained that the proposed strategy would involve following results through every stage of the collation process, including the ward, local government and state levels, before the final results are declared 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 objective was to ensure that the results eventually announced accurately represented the votes cast by Nigerians.
She also said she had “zero trust” in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the judiciary, arguing that voters could not leave the responsibility of protecting their votes entirely in the hands of institutions.
She said the 2027 election would therefore require strong grassroots organisation, with supporters paying close attention to what happens at polling units instead of depending primarily on rallies and campaign events.
Reaction to Benue Incident
Commenting on the recent incident in Benue State, where Peter Obi’s movement was reportedly obstructed, Yesufu defended the former Anambra State governor’s decision not to confront those who blocked his convoy.
She argued that Obi had other engagements scheduled for the day and should not allow people she described as “miscreants” to determine how he moved around the state.
Obi’s Chances in 2027
Yesufu expressed confidence in Obi’s chances of winning the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the economic difficulties and insecurity facing Nigerians were becoming increasingly important factors in voters’ decisions.
She criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration, describing it as a “colossal failure” and arguing that reported improvements in macroeconomic indicators had yet to translate into meaningful improvements in the lives of ordinary Nigerians.
According to her, Nigerians continued to face high living costs, insecurity and reduced purchasing power, adding that government economic policies should ultimately be judged by their effect on citizens.
Yesufu further argued that Obi had an advantage because voters were, in her view, becoming more interested in competence, character and capacity than religious considerations.
She also expressed confidence that Obi would retain his support in Lagos in 2027 while making significant gains in other parts of the country.
Grassroots Mobilisation
Yesufu, who said she was not interested in seeking elective office, stated that her priority was mobilising supporters ahead of the 2027 presidential election and ensuring that votes were properly protected.
She said the experience of the 2023 election had demonstrated the importance of having a stronger grassroots structure capable of monitoring the electoral process and ensuring that the votes cast by Nigerians determine the eventual outcome.
Source: Arise News
