Peter Obi has vowed that efforts to manipulate election results through the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal will face stronger resistance ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
The Nigeria Democratic Congress presidential candidate made the statement in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during a town hall meeting where he addressed concerns about voter intimidation, result transmission and the protection of ballots.
Obi said Nigerians must not leave the protection of their votes entirely to electoral officials, urging voters to remain organised from the polling unit until the final declaration of results.
He particularly warned about possible attempts to interfere with the IReV system, which is used to provide public access to election results uploaded from polling units.
“Yes, they will try to manipulate the IReV. But let me tell you, it will not be easy this time,” Obi said.
The former Anambra governor said alternative platforms would be available to prevent network failures from disrupting the electronic transmission and viewing of results.
“There will be so many IReVs this time. If there is a network glitch, we will give them another one that has no glitch,” he stated.
The proposal comes as election technology remains a major part of Nigeria’s electoral debate. The 2023 presidential election generated intense arguments over the electronic transmission and uploading of results, while Obi and other opposition candidates challenged the outcome in court. The courts ultimately upheld Tinubu’s victory.
Beyond technology, Obi said voter intimidation must also be addressed before the 2027 polls. He argued that the number of voters at polling units generally exceeds the number of officials present, meaning citizens can collectively resist intimidation.
“Nobody will intimidate us again at the polling booth,” Obi declared.
He said the NDC would develop coordination mechanisms to ensure voters can exercise their franchise without fear or suppression.
Obi also called on Nigerians to treat the protection of their votes as a collective responsibility. His comments suggest that the NDC intends to combine voter mobilisation with technological monitoring as the party prepares for the 2027 contest.
He warned that allowing technical problems to repeatedly affect the electoral process could have consequences beyond individual elections.
“By allowing them to continue, that glitch will glitch our lives. That’s what we are suffering today,” Obi said, adding that Nigerians must work together to change the situation.
With the 2027 election drawing closer, Obi’s remarks place electoral transparency, technological safeguards and voter protection at the centre of his campaign message.
