2027: Votes Must Count Or INEC Be Held Accountable – Peter Obi

Oscar Okhifo

ABUJA – Presidential Candidate of Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi has called on members of the Obedient Movement to keep faith and hope alive despite the outcome of the 2023 general election, assuring that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must count and declare votes as cast in 2027 — otherwise, they (members of the elections organizing body) will be counted.

Obi further maintained that the people occupying political positions do not care about the people they lead but rather feed fat on them and from the system.

Obi made the remarks on Tuesday in Abuja during the launch of a 250-page book titled, “Obi: The Political Change Agent, The Inevitability of a New Nigeria” authored by veteran journalist Ike Abonyi.

Assuring citizens that votes will count in 2027, he said, “This time around, we will make sure that we are everywhere. We will vote, the votes will count and those who think they will not count will be counted.”

The former Governor of Anambra State emphasized that until the ‘criminal enterprise’ managing the affairs of the country is dismantled, the country will not make progress. He said that the leaders of the country are more interested in primitive acquisition of wealth and will keep exploiting the country and the already downtrodden people until the country collapses. He said that leaders of today only care about wealth celebration and acquiring estates while the country and people sink.

Citing an example with the film Titanic, a ship that was sinking while the affluent on the upper deck were celebrating, he continued, “When it was sinking, some people were in the upper deck celebrating. They didn’t know that it was going down, till everybody sank. So when it comes, it will consume everybody, nobody will be safe, whether you’re very rich.

“I’ve been to Beirut, Afghanistan, where they have lovely buildings, and you see all of them destroyed. So when people are now acquiring what they don’t need, instead of making sacrifices to have peace, by having one or two buildings, they think they can have 100 buildings. But when it happens, everybody will end up being in a refugee camp.

“Today in Nigeria, we’re not at war. Nigerians are in a refugee camp in their own country. Nigerians are refugees in Cameroon, and we are not at war. The only reason is that we don’t have a people-centric government. People are being killed daily. Nobody goes to see them, nobody visits them, nobody cares. All you get in Nigeria is that some people are so rich so they can afford to celebrate endlessly.

“They make you president, all you want to do is to renovate houses at the expense of other people, renovate conference centers in a place where women are dying.

“The latest report is that Nigeria is the worst place to give birth. People are dying every minute, yet we have all the sophisticated buildings, all the mansions. That is what we want to dismantle so that it will be good for everybody. We must gang up to remove this because it’s not sustainable,” he said.

He begged members of the Obidient movement to continue to make sacrifices, assuring that it will not be in vain. He urged Obidient members to go back to their villages and enlighten citizens on the need for a change that will birth a new Nigeria.

Former Secretary of Anambra State, Oseloka Obaze, who was the Book Reviewer, described the Obidient movement as a group that came to disrupt the existing political system.

“Obi represents an anomaly in Nigeria’s political landscape. A politician who genuinely desires to work for the betterment of society. A politician unlike any other in Nigeria.”

He said that the book looked at the 2023 campaign, the organic growth of the Obidient movement, and how Obi’s candidacy has rewritten the manual for future aspirants to public office. He said that the book is about an enigmatic personality.

Also in her remarks, National Caretaker Committee (NCC) Chairman of the party, Sen. Nenadi Usman said that the story of Obi is one of accountability, responsible governance and empathy.

“In every generation, there arises a voice that does not merely echo the frustrations of the people but dares to chart a new path for them. Mr. Peter Obi, whose life and political saga we unveil today, has become such a voice. This book, meticulously authored and boldly titled, tells a story far beyond politics.

“It is the story of accountability against impunity, simplicity against flamboyance, principle against expediency, and prudence against financial recklessness.”

The event was attended by former Chairman of Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) Prof. Sam Amadi, former Chairman of Inter Party Advisory Council Chief Peter Ameh, Obi supporters, and members of the Obidient family.