By Adegboyega Adeleye
The Obidient Movement has warned the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other political actors against attempting to manipulate the outcome of the 2027 general elections. The movement issued the warning in a statement on Tuesday in reaction to Wike’s recent comments on the 2023 presidential election, particularly his disclosure that the former Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, G5 governors deliberately stopped Labour Party candidate, Peter Obi, from winning Rivers State. The statement, signed by the Media and Communications Directorate of the Obidient Movement and released 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 Obidient Movement has watched with grave concern the video of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, speaking publicly about how he and other evil conspirators carried out a treasonable offence against the Nigerian people in 2023 by manipulating election results to favour Bola Tinubu and the APC,” the statement said. The movement said the comments had reinforced what it described as its longstanding position on the outcome of the 2023 presidential election. “Even though this reconfirms what we have always known about the outcome of the 2023 elections, it is jarring to hear it once again in a braggadocio manner from a perpetual nuisance, Wike, on the now-disgraced TVC,” it said. The group then issued its strongest warning ahead of the 2027 elections, saying any attempt to manipulate the people’s votes would be resisted.
“In view of the foregoing, the Obidient Movement hereby invites Wike and his co-conspirators to make sure they write their will before the 2027 elections, as Nigerians are determined to enforce the rig-and-die mantra from the polling units to the collation centres,” it said. “Any manipulation or attempted manipulation of the people’s will would be met with forceful resistance, including the possible infliction of terminal wounds on such people.”
The movement also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to return to what it described as its constitutional responsibility of conducting credible elections. “We therefore call on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to go back to its constitutional responsibility of organising credible elections, instead of the charade it has been organising since 2019 in the name of elections,” it said.
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The group accused INEC of being loyal to the ruling APC, demanding an end to what it described as the commission’s alleged bias. “INEC’s loyalty to the APC must therefore come to an end, as Nigerians will strongly resist any attempt to keep them in perpetual bondage under Tinubu’s sadistic and wasteful government,” the statement said. It added: “INEC’s responsibility is to the Nigerian people and to the integrity of the electoral process.”
The Obidient Movement also warned security agencies against interfering with the electoral process, saying their responsibility was to protect voters, electoral officials and democracy. “The same applies to the security agencies. Their duty is to protect voters, electoral officials and the democratic process, not to intimidate citizens, suppress opposition or facilitate electoral manipulation,” it said. The movement further warned that Nigerians would resist any attempt to use security agencies to manipulate the 2027 elections.
“They are security agents because Nigerians have chosen to recognise them as such. But if they continue to see themselves as primarily loyal to criminals, and not to the Nigerian people, Nigerians will also treat them as enemies, the same way an armed robber breaking into any house at night is regarded as an enemy.”
On the 2027 election, the group said Nigerians would not accept results that were allegedly predetermined by political actors. “In 2027, Nigerians are not going to court, and will not accept results written by Tinubu, Wike, and a compromised INEC,” it said. The movement also addressed political thugs, urging them not to allow themselves to be used to disrupt elections. “Tinubu, Wike and other politicians might use you to scatter polling units because they believe you have nuisance value.
But when the election is over, they no longer need you, and they turn to their families when they need to travel on vacation or enter government house,” it said. “You must get to the point where you refuse to be used by these criminals. Even you deserve a good life.”
The group insisted that the 2027 election must be determined by voters at polling units.
“The 2027 election must be decided by voters at the polling units, not by politicians in private rooms, electoral officials behind closed doors or security agencies acting outside their constitutional mandate,” it added. “We will insist that the results announced must reflect the votes actually cast by Nigerians.”
The Obidient Movement added that Nigerians’ peaceful disposition should not be interpreted as weakness. “Nobody should mistake the peaceful nature of Nigerians for weakness. The ballot belongs to the people. “Nobody has the right to steal it. Nobody has the right to manipulate it.
And nobody who abuses public office to subvert the democratic process should expect to escape accountability.”
The movement concluded by calling for a free, fair and credible 2027 election, saying: “The 2027 elections must be free, fair, transparent and credible. “Nigeria must be OK.”
Wike’s 2023 election claim
The statement followed comments by Wike during an interview on TVC News’ Journalists’ Hangout on Monday, where he explained the strategy adopted by the G5 governors during the 2023 presidential election. Wike said the group allowed Peter Obi to win in Edo and Cross River because the PDP’s strength in the South-South posed a threat to the presidential ambition of its candidate at the time, Atiku Abubakar. He said 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. Wike also argued that the political circumstances that favoured Obi in 2023 had changed ahead of 2027, saying the Labour Party candidate could no longer win the South-South and advised him to prepare for the 2031 election.
