Elections are rigged because Nigerians allow it – Obi

Elections are rigged because Nigerians allow it – Obi

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Peter Obi, has said elections in Nigeria are often manipulated because citizens fail to take ownership of the electoral process and protect their votes.

Peter Obi

Obi stated this during a recent visit to Washington, D.C. in a video which started trending on Saturday, where he spoke on the challenges facing Nigeria’s democracy and the role of citizens in ensuring credible elections.

According to the former Anambra State governor, politicians alone cannot guarantee free and fair elections unless voters are determined to defend the sanctity of their ballots.

“Elections are rigged in Nigeria because Nigerians want it to be rigged. It’s as simple as ABC. I will do whatever is possible to protect the votes, but unless Nigerians decide that their votes will count, it will not count,” he said.

Obi urged voters to remain at their polling units after casting their ballots and monitor the counting process rather than leaving immediately after voting.

“If you vote and you stay in your polling booth and say that the votes must be counted here, it will be counted, but because our politics is transactional, the average Nigerian doesn’t know who his problem is.

“So, an average Nigerian will vote and then go home or go to night vigil, whilst his night vigil should actually be to stay and let them count his votes. But he will vote and go to night vigil on Saturday and start praying because he thinks he is the only one that God created, that God will solve all his problems,” he said.