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Political activist and member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Aisha Yesufu, has said supporters of the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, will not rely solely on electoral institutions to protect their votes in the 2027 presidential election.
Yesufu said supporters would station representatives at polling units to monitor the voting process and track election materials and results through every stage of collation up to Abuja.
She made the remarks during an interview on Arise News while discussing Obi’s prospects in the 2027 election and the lessons supporters drew from the 2023 presidential election.
According to Yesufu, the experience of 2023 had made direct grassroots monitoring necessary, with supporters expected to remain present throughout the movement and collation of results.
“Yes, we are going to have people at every polling unit to protect the votes,” she said.
She said the monitoring would continue from the polling unit through the ward, local government and state collation centres until the final declaration in Abuja.
“No result sheet will leave our sight. We will follow the results from the polling units all the way to Abuja,” Yesufu said.
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She said the objective was to ensure that the final results declared by the electoral authorities accurately reflected the votes cast at polling units.
Yesufu said she had “zero trust” in INEC, security agencies and the judiciary, arguing that citizens and political groups could not leave the responsibility of protecting their votes entirely to state institutions.
She therefore called for stronger grassroots mobilisation ahead of the election, saying Obi’s supporters should focus on polling-unit organisation rather than relying only on rallies and campaign activities.
On the incident in Benue State where Obi’s movement was reportedly obstructed, Yesufu defended his decision not to confront those who blocked his convoy, saying he had other engagements and should not allow what she described as “miscreants” to determine his movements.
Yesufu also expressed confidence in Obi’s chances in 2027, arguing that economic hardship, insecurity and declining purchasing power were becoming more important considerations for voters. She criticised the Tinubu administration as a “colossal failure” and said reported improvements in macroeconomic indicators had not translated into better living conditions for ordinary Nigerians.
She said Obi had an advantage because, in her assessment, voters were increasingly looking at competence, character and capacity rather than religious considerations. Yesufu, who said she was not seeking elective office, added that her focus was on mobilising supporters and ensuring their votes were protected, including what she described as Obi’s prospects of retaining Lagos and making gains elsewhere in the country.
