2027: NDC Vows to Resist Any Attempt to Rig Rivers Poll

The Chairman of the Nigeria Democratic Congress in Rivers State, Success Jack, has said the party will resist any attempt to manipulate the outcome of the 2027 presidential election in the state.

Jack made the statement on Thursday while reacting to comments by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who had claimed that he and other members of the former G5 governors played a role in preventing Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi from winning Rivers State during the 2023 election.

The NDC chairman said Wike’s comments did not concern the party, arguing that the electoral process in the country had changed since the 2023 general elections.

According to Jack, the changes in the electoral process would make it difficult for anyone to simply alter or write election results without voters and other participants noticing.

He said voters would have a role in monitoring the counting of their ballots and ensuring that results from polling units are properly transmitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission portal.

Jack also said the process would require voters and party agents to monitor the movement of results from polling units to the various collation centres at the local government level.

The NDC chairman further addressed concerns about the possible use of security agencies to intimidate voters during the election. He said such a move would face resistance and argued that security personnel would not be able to intimidate all voters across the state’s polling units.

His comments followed Wike’s recent explanation of the political strategy adopted by the G5 governors during the 2023 presidential election.

Wike had said the group considered Atiku Abubakar, who contested the election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, a bigger political threat and adopted a strategy that reduced his advantage in the South-South region.

He also said the strategy involved encouraging support for Obi in some areas, thereby reducing the votes that could have gone to Atiku.

Reacting to Wike’s position, Jack said the NDC would remain focused on the 2027 election and would not allow what he described as attempts to interfere with the electoral process to succeed in Rivers State.

He maintained that the party was confident that changes in election procedures and closer monitoring by voters would make it harder for results to be manipulated.

Jack also said the party would continue to encourage voters and its members to remain active throughout the voting, counting and result-transmission processes as the 2027 presidential election approaches.