Obi: We’ll Deploy Dual Transmission System to Protect Votes in 2027

Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has said his campaign will deploy an independent result-transmission system alongside the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) official system to ensure transparency and protect votes in the 2027 general elections.

Obi made the statement during an Arise Television interview with Ojy Okpe, where he explained his controversial comment that he was “ready to die” for his votes during a recent engagement with supporters in Port Harcourt.

According to him, the statement was symbolic and was made in response to a supporter who said voters were prepared to defend their votes.

“What we are saying is that we are prepared to ensure that our vote counts, and it must count,” Obi said.

He explained that his campaign would focus on ensuring that results from every polling unit were properly counted, recorded and transmitted.

“We will have even a dual transmission so that as it’s going to the proper designated INEC portal, it’s also being transmitted where the people can see it,” he said.

Obi stressed that the proposed system would not amount to creating a parallel electoral process, but would provide an additional mechanism for monitoring results.

“No, not at all,” he said when asked whether the plan amounted to a parallel system.

“All we are saying is that this time around, we will make sure that in every polling unit, we must have a system that transmits to our own situation room the correct results.”

He added that other organisations could also deploy similar monitoring mechanisms, arguing that the objective was to prevent results from being declared that did not originate from polling units.

“Our task is to make sure that the right things are done. There’s nothing difficult in having a simple, free, transparent election. It happens in Ghana. It happens everywhere,” Obi said.

The former Anambra State governor also criticised the conduct of the 2023 presidential election, alleging that the former INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, worked in favour of the government in power.

“We took things for granted; we believed them,” Obi said, while accusing the former electoral commission leadership of giving assurances about the integrity of the process.

On the possibility of an alliance with other opposition parties ahead of 2027, Obi said discussions should focus on rescuing Nigeria rather than sharing political positions.

“We are talking about a country here; we are not sharing bread. We have to come together and talk about how to move the country forward,” he said.

Asked whether he would step down for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar if an alliance required such an arrangement, Obi responded: “I’m a candidate, Atiku is a candidate.”

He, however, left the door open to discussions if a genuine alliance emerged.

Obi also defended himself against attempts to link him personally to the 1966 coup, stressing that he was only about four years old at the time.

“You cannot hold what happened in the 1966 coup against me when I was barely four years old,” he said.

The NDC presidential candidate further pledged to govern with a team and promised Nigerians that the difference would become evident within four years if elected.

“I will serve Nigeria with a team,” Obi said. “In four years, people will see the difference.”