2027 Election: Umeh Backs Peter Obi, Warns Against Vote Manipulation

A former Anambra State lawmaker, Victor Umeh, has thrown his weight behind Peter Obi’s recent warning over the 2027 general election, saying the former presidential candidate was not calling for anarchy.

Umeh, who represents Anambra Central Senatorial District in the National Assembly, described Obi’s comment as a “call to duty” aimed at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders responsible for conducting the election.

Obi had recently warned that Nigerians would not accept any attempt to manipulate their votes in the 2027 election.

Speaking at a town hall meeting in Port Harcourt, the Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) said, “Our votes this time must count, and whoever doesn’t count it, we will count the person.”

However, speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Monday, Umeh said the statement should not be interpreted as a threat or an attempt to incite Nigerians.

According to him, Obi was only expressing the expectations of Nigerians who want their votes to be properly counted and their choices respected.

“I think the statement he made is not extreme. It is not inciting in any form. He merely stated what the Nigerian electorate will be expecting in 2027,” Umeh said.

The senator maintained that a transparent electoral process would leave little room for suspicion, tension or unrest after the election.

He urged INEC to ensure that votes cast by Nigerians are properly counted, collated and declared without manipulation.

“There will be no room for fraud or manipulation of election results. If taken further, it is a call on the electoral umpire to ensure that what will come out of that process will be genuine and real,” he said.

Umeh described Obi’s statement as “a call to patriotic duty” for the electoral commission to conduct an election capable of earning the confidence of Nigerians.

He also called on voters to play their part by ensuring that the votes cast at polling units are properly counted, recorded and transmitted through the approved electoral process.

“So, whether he says the people will count the votes or we count them is a call to duty and awakening the consciousness of everybody to help to protect the sanctity of the ballot box,” Umeh said.

The lawmaker further argued that the best way to avoid post-election crisis was for the electoral process to be credible from the beginning.

“If you want to prevent anarchy, the best way to go about it is by doing what is right,” he said.

Umeh added that the use of electoral technology, proper accreditation, voting, sorting, counting and collation should ensure that the final results reflect the actual votes cast.

“There will be no anarchy,” he stressed.

According to him, any unrest that may follow the 2027 election would be caused by manipulation of the process and not Obi’s warning.

“When you manipulate and give false results, you are the one inviting the anarchy, not Peter Obi, who is saying that the right thing should be done,” Umeh said.