By Dennis Okechukwu
The Obidient Movement has warned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other political actors against any attempt to manipulate the outcome of the 2027 general elections.
The group issued the warning in a statement on Tuesday following Wike’s recent comments about the 2023 presidential election, particularly his disclosure that the Peoples Democratic Party’s former G5 governors deliberately worked to prevent Labour Party candidate Peter Obi from winning Rivers State.
The statement, signed by the Media and Communications Directorate of the Obidient Movement and published on its X handle, was titled, “Wike’s Open Confession to Election Manipulation and Rigging on TVC: Write Your Will Now If You Are Planning to Manipulate 2027 Results.”
The movement alleged that Wike’s comments amounted to an admission that he and other political actors manipulated the 2023 election results to favour President Bola Tinubu and the All Progressives Congress.
The group said the remarks had reinforced its longstanding position on the conduct and outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
It subsequently warned that any attempt to manipulate voters’ choices in 2027 would be resisted.
The movement also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to focus on its constitutional responsibility of conducting free, fair and credible elections.
It accused INEC of favouring the ruling APC and demanded what it described as an end to the commission’s alleged bias.
According to the group, the commission’s responsibility should be to Nigerian voters and the integrity of the electoral process.
The Obidient Movement similarly urged security agencies to remain neutral during the 2027 elections, saying their responsibility was to protect voters, electoral officials and the democratic process rather than intimidify opposition supporters or facilitate electoral manipulation.
The group also appealed to political thugs not to allow themselves to be used to disrupt polling or undermine the electoral process.
It maintained that the outcome of the 2027 election should be determined by voters at polling units rather than by politicians, electoral officials or security agencies acting outside their constitutional responsibilities.
“The 2027 election must be decided by voters at the polling units,” the movement said, insisting that declared results should reflect votes actually cast by Nigerians.
The group further called for a free, fair, transparent and credible election in 2027.
Wike’s Comments on 2023 Election
The statement followed Wike’s appearance on TVC News’ Journalists’ Hangout on Monday, during which he discussed the strategy adopted by the G5 governors during the 2023 presidential election.
Wike said the group allowed Obi to win in Edo and Cross River states because the strength of the PDP in the South-South region posed a challenge to the presidential ambition of the party’s candidate at the time, Atiku Abubakar.
He explained that Rivers State was treated differently because the group did not want Obi to win there.
“It was only Rivers that said, ‘No, we have a problem here in Rivers. Obi will not win here because if he wins, he sends a signal somewhere, people may not understand it.’ And we stopped…we stopped it,” Wike said.
The FCT minister also argued that the political circumstances that helped Obi in 2023 had changed ahead of the 2027 election.
He said Obi could no longer replicate his 2023 performance in the South-South and advised him to prepare for the 2031 election.