By Osaretin Osadebamwen
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Mr. Peter Obi has declared that while President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress APC, may have the support of state governors, he (Obi) has the backing of the Nigerian people from these 36 states of the federation.
Speaking on Sunday Politics, Obi addressed the growing concerns about electoral integrity over the forthcoming 2027 elections, insisting that power ultimately belongs to the citizens.
Obi who was the presidential candidate of the Labour Party in 2023 said he won that election but was rigged out, pleaded with the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC to be impartial in the 2027 elections.
According to him, “I want to give all the governors to him. But people in the 36 States are not with them.
“What I am only asking for is a free, fair and credible election, which will go down as part of his (Tinubu) legacy.
“That is what I am pleading with you. That is what I want them to do. And that’s what I am begging the youth whose future is at stake to come out and join me in demanding.
“We are now demanding free, fair and credible elections. And it will go down as part of his legacy. He has campaigned, he has fought for democracy, Obi said about President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“This is the time to prove it, when Yar Adua became President, he said, the process in which ‘I came into office is faulty’, and I am going to ensure that it does not happen again, even if I have to lose. And he did it. They were certainty, by all his actions, all the subsequent elections after him, were free, fair and credible.
“I contested second term then, and nothing happened. And when he left, Jonathan continued in that direction. That was why people like me, Oshiomhole and others were able to win elections as for second term, because they were there.”
The former Anambra State governor also pledged to strengthen rule of law that guards opposition parties and protect the judiciary if elected president, criticizing the current administration for allegedly killing opposition and destroying democratic institutions.
The NDC Presidential candidate for 2027 said he will ensure that all the opposition party in the country will thrive and all the statutes guiding party and their elected officers will be followed legally under is watch.
“I will encourage opposition. I will ensure that opposition parties function good as parties while I am in government.
“Is the government of the day doing that? No, they are killing the opposition.
“The President said that he is happy when opposition have a problem. And these are his the words. And all these people are doing it, and because of it, they are destroying the judicial system.
“They are destroying the judiciary. If I am President today, most of the things you are seeing in our politics will not exist. I will encourage strong opposition parties to emerge.
“I will ensure that most of the restrictions that are happening today, where even the INEC is interfering in party activities, their job will be strictly to ensure that they conduct free and credible elections.
“The parties are free to choose the candidates they want to present. And I will ensure that once after election, I will take the law to the National Assembly.
“After election, you cannot change your party. You can only change your party during the election. After election, if you change your party, the party that won that election will replace you immediately.
“That’s what you have all over the world. So you breathe sanity in all these opposition parties.” Obi stated.
