2027: ‘No More Rigging’ — Aisha Yesufu Vows to Track Every Vote

Human rights activist Aisha Yesufu has vowed to monitor the movement of votes from polling units to the final collation point during the 2027 presidential election, saying the process must be closely watched to prevent manipulation.

Yesufu made this known on Thursday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where she spoke about the lessons from the 2023 general election and the need for stronger monitoring of election results.

She said the experience of the 2023 election had shown the importance of having people follow the results at every stage of the collation process.

According to Yesufu, her team would monitor the results from individual polling units through ward and local government collation centres, before following them to the state level and eventually to Abuja.

She said every stage of the process would be monitored closely, including the movement of ballot papers, ballot boxes and result sheets.

Yesufu said the monitoring effort would not be limited by location or difficult terrain. She stated that the team was prepared to use different means of transportation, including motorcycles, boats and aircraft, where necessary, to keep track of election materials and results.

She said the goal was to ensure that the results recorded at polling units were properly followed through each stage of collation until the final figures were announced.

The activist also spoke about the 2027 presidential contest and was asked whether the NDC presidential candidate, Peter Obi, could challenge President Bola Tinubu.

In response, Yesufu expressed confidence in Obi’s ability to compete against Tinubu. She also criticised the President’s public image and described what she considered his confidence as a display that did not reflect his actual state of mind.

Yesufu argued that the 2027 election would require citizens to be more involved in monitoring the voting process rather than leaving the entire responsibility to political parties and election officials.

She maintained that close tracking of results from the polling unit level would help protect voters’ choices and make it more difficult for figures to be altered during the collation process.

Her comments come as political parties, activists and other stakeholders continue preparations for the 2027 general elections, with concerns over the credibility and transparency of the electoral process remaining a major issue.

Yesufu’s proposed approach places strong attention on the direct monitoring of results and the movement of election materials across the different stages of collation.