Obi: Nigerian Citizens’ Failure to Take Ownership of Electoral Process Encourages Election Rigging
•Pledges to adopt dialogue in addressing nationwide agitations
Chuks Okocha in Abuja
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Peter Obi, has said that elections in Nigeria are often manipulated because citizens fail to take ownership of the electoral process and protect their votes.
Obi stated this during an interaction with Nigerians in Washington, D.C., United States, according to a video widely shared on social media, in which he spoke about the challenges facing Nigeria’s democracy and the role of citizens in ensuring credible elections.
According to the former Anambra State governor, politicians alone cannot guarantee free and fair elections unless voters are determined to defend the sanctity of their ballots.
“Elections are rigged in Nigeria because Nigerians want it to be rigged. It’s as simple as A, B, C. I will do whatever is possible to protect the votes, but unless Nigerians decide that their votes will count, it will not count,” he said.
Obi urged voters to remain at their polling units after casting their ballots and monitor the counting process rather than leaving immediately after voting.
“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.
“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. But he will vote and go to night vigil on Saturday and start praying because he thinks he is the only one that God created, that God will solve all his problems,” he said.
The former governor maintained that Nigeria’s biggest challenge remained poor leadership, arguing that the country possessed abundant human and natural resources needed for development.
“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.
“I can tell you that Nigeria is more blessed than this country. So, if Nigerians know that their problem is leadership, they will address it and insist on getting good leadership. So, everybody should be part of protecting that vote,” he added.
Obi stressed that safeguarding the electoral process should not be left to politicians alone, noting that meaningful change would only come when citizens actively defend their votes and demand accountable leadership.
He also used the occasion to say that he would adopt a dialogue approach to addressing agitations across the country if allowed to lead.
According to him, engaging agitators would help the government understand the issues driving their demands and find lasting solutions.
“Even all agitators, if I’m in government today, I will discuss with them. I will engage with them.
“I will consult with them. Because I believe that they have a reason for whatever they want to do. It’s only by engaging them that we’ll learn how to solve it. But I am not in a position to do anything today,” Obi added.
He reiterated his call for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, saying there is no justification for the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra.
The former Anambra State governor said he had consistently maintained that Kanu should not remain in custody.
“I said repeatedly that there’s no reason for keeping Nnamdi Kanu. There’s no reason, no reason whatsoever.
“You cannot arrest somebody because he was speaking on the radio or calling people’s names. It doesn’t make sense,” he said.
Drawing on his experience as a politician, Obi said public figures are often subjected to criticism and name-calling, which, he said, should not be treated as a criminal offence.
“I’m a politician. People call me all sorts of names. And I don’t think calling me names has anything to do with… It’s not an offence,” he stated.