Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has urged residents of Rivers State to participate massively in the 2027 general election and ensure their votes are counted.
Obi made the call in a statement posted on X on Friday, following his participation in a town hall meeting organised by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) in Port Harcourt on Thursday.
The former Anambra State governor said the engagement provided an opportunity to discuss major issues affecting Nigerians, including employment, healthcare, education, security and economic opportunities.
He said an administration led by him would prioritise education, healthcare and poverty reduction as key drivers of national development.
Obi also pointed to the experiences of countries such as Bangladesh, Indonesia and India, saying purposeful leadership had helped transform their economies and improve living conditions.
He cited Bangladesh’s progress in rice production, Indonesia’s growth in small and medium-sized enterprises and India’s efforts to reduce poverty as examples of what focused leadership could achieve.
“My greatest elation today came from the renewed commitment I saw among the good people of Rivers State to participate massively in the 2027 elections and, more importantly, to ensure that their votes are counted and the people’s mandate is respected,” Obi said.
The former governor urged Rivers voters to use the election to demand a credible electoral process, stressing that elected officials could only claim legitimate mandates when they emerged from free and fair elections.
“Let it be recorded that this time around, the people of Rivers State will vote, and their votes MUST count,” he declared.
Obi further challenged Rivers State to take the lead in promoting credible elections in 2027.
“Rivers State can and should set the pace for excellent, free, fair, and credible elections in 2027,” he said.
According to him, only leaders produced through a transparent electoral process should legitimately be regarded as elected public officials.
The NDC town hall, Obi said, focused on finding practical solutions to Nigeria’s development challenges while encouraging greater citizen participation in governance.
He thanked the NDC leadership, its Rivers governorship candidate, Dumo Lulu-Briggs, Vice-Presidential Candidate Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, party officials and supporters for taking part in the engagement.
Obi said the broader objective of the opposition movement remained to “rescue Nigeria, rebuild our institutions, and restore hope to our people.”
His comments come as political parties and aspirants intensify preparations for the 2027 general election, with electoral credibility and the protection of voters’ mandates expected to remain major issues in the political debate.
