2027: Obi, Ameh demand credible polls, urge voters to protect their ballots

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, and the party’s Kogi East Senatorial Candidate, Peter Ameh, have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that the 2027 general elections are free, fair, transparent and credible.

The duo made the call on Sunday in Ogugu, Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, during a thank-you tour organised for Ameh following his emergence as the NDC senatorial candidate for Kogi East.

Obi, who was warmly received by thousands of supporters in Ogugu, urged INEC to resist any attempt to manipulate the electoral process in favour of any political party, stressing that the wishes of Nigerian voters must be respected.

He said, “The reception is very warm. What is most important is that we want this campaign to be issue-based. We want all candidates to go round Nigeria and ask questions about the challenges confronting the people.

“We want to change the dynamics where people go around and ask Nigerians about their problems. When I was coming to Kogi State today, I stopped at Ugbolafo, Otukpa Junction, and asked some of our elderly people what their challenges were. This is what I want other presidential candidates to do.

“I am moving around Nigeria to see how we can do the right thing. I want the next set of governance to focus on how our children will be in school, how our environment will be secured, and how our people can earn a decent living.”

Speaking to journalists, Obi expressed concern over the worsening economic and social conditions in the country, saying Nigeria needed visionary leadership capable of taking the country out of its current difficulties.

According to him, “I am not worried about what the outcome of the 2027 general election will be. What worries me is the people and how they will protect their votes on election day.

“The votes of the people must be counted. There is hunger and poverty in the land, and that is why I came here to see what we can do to ameliorate the suffering of our people.

“My charge to the people here is that they must ensure that there is a free, fair and credible election. This time around, our votes must count. Nigerians must elect those who will lead them.”

Obi urged voters to choose leaders based on competence, capacity, character, compassion and commitment to national development.

“They must do it based on competence, capacity, character, compassion and commitment to turning Nigeria around,” he said.

He further expressed concern over the living conditions of Nigerians, particularly those in rural communities, noting that the country’s vast agricultural potential had not been adequately harnessed.

“As I moved around, I felt pain seeing how Nigerians are living. Look at our rural areas with huge farmlands. Nobody is supporting the farmers in all ramifications to enable them to produce the food we need to feed the nation,” Obi said.

He reiterated that Nigeria required leadership with a clear vision and the capacity to reverse what he described as the country’s backward trajectory.

Also speaking, the NDC Kogi East Senatorial Candidate, High Chief Peter Ameh, said the people of the region had no reason to remain impoverished given the area’s fertile land and abundant mineral resources.

Ameh said, “Kogi East is really blessed. We should not have decayed infrastructure. Despite having coal in Ankpa, the roads are bad, and people cannot access Enjema properly, despite over 200 trucks leaving the coal site daily.

“It is painful that we find ourselves in this deplorable state, but we can do something about it. We can have representatives in the legislature who will be at the National Assembly to speak for the people and raise the challenges confronting our communities.”

Ameh also lamented the state of primary healthcare facilities across Kogi State, describing the situation as unacceptable.

“Our primary healthcare system here in Kogi is dead across the nine local government areas. It is time for us to look at the track records of the candidates contesting elections and assess who can genuinely represent the people at the National Assembly,” he said.

“For me, I have already buried my personal interest in ensuring that the interests of the people become our interest. The people must come first.”

The senatorial candidate alleged that previous votes cast by the people had been “stolen”, urging voters to remain vigilant and protect their ballots during the 2027 elections.

“They have served us before, but these votes were stolen. Today, we are charging the people to go out, vote and protect their votes because it is through the votes they cast that we will have good roads and basic amenities that will provide for our children and secure their future,” Ameh said.

He called for renewed investment in public health institutions and schools, saying the people deserved better social infrastructure.

“It is necessary that our public health institutions and schools continue to have a new lease of life. Our people understand that it is time to bring in new people who are experienced, who have been able to transform their areas of responsibility and have demonstrated capacity at various levels of leadership.

“Such people should come on board and protect our collective interests,” Ameh said.