2027: Anyone Who Rigged Election, Even By 1 Vote, Will Go To Jail – Obi

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress(NDC), Peter Obi, has vowed that anyone found to have rigged an election would be jailed if he is elected President in 2027.

Obi made the declaration during an interview on ARISE News Prime Time on Thursday night, while responding to a question on how his administration would guarantee that opposition candidates are allowed to campaign freely, even in states where governors are politically opposed to them.

The former Anambra State governor said his administration would not harass political parties, promising instead to support them and work with opposition parties on issues affecting the country.

Obi said electoral fraud would, however, attract severe consequences under his administration.

“I’ve stated it, and I’ll say it again, if I’m serving as president of this country, whoever rigs the election will be in jail. Even for one vote, he will be in jail,” he said.

“No political party will be harassed. We will support them. And we will be working with the opposition political parties.”

He further said his administration would adopt an inclusive approach to governance by involving opposition parties in decisions on critical national issues.

“If there’s a matter of state that we have to take a decision, especially in a situation we find ourselves in now, that is existential, we will invite all opposition,” Obi said.

“It’s a country, it’s a country, everybody’s involved. And I want to involve everybody.”

The NDC candidate said governance should not be about the interest of the party in power, stressing that important decisions must involve stakeholders because they affect the entire country.

He added that opposition parties would remain involved even when the President is away on foreign trips.

“I’ll make sure that even if I have to take a foreign trip, all pushers will be involved,” he said.

“They’ll be involved in this choice. Because it’s important, it’s for a country, it’s for our children.”

Obi said his administration would focus on building a stable, united and secure Nigeria for future generations, regardless of who occupies political office.

“We must build a stable country, a united country, a secure country for our children,” he said.

“Irrespective of who is in office. It doesn’t matter who is in office.”

Earlier in September, Obi had called on Nigerians to protect their votes and urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to resist political manipulation and ensure that votes count in the 2027 elections..

His latest comments come as political parties and politicians intensify preparations for the 2027 elections, with the conduct of free and credible elections, protection of votes and the treatment of opposition parties expected to remain major issues in the political discourse