Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, has officially registered as an African Democratic Congress member in the party’s ongoing membership registration and mobilization campaign, which started on Saturday, March 7, throughout Anambra State’s 21 local government areas.
Obi promised to contest the recently approved 2026 Electoral Act in court, claiming that it was purposefully created to influence the results of the 2027 general elections. Obi finished his registration at his hometown of Agulu, in Anaocha LGA of Anambra State, on Saturday.
The presidential candidate said that the Independent National Electoral Commission has now taken over the political party election process rather than concentrating on holding elections and that the new electoral law’s provisions were crafted to enable electoral fraud.
The former governor of Anambra reminded his party members and supporters that no region is more Nigerian than the South-East and that the region is working as a family for the 2027 general elections.
He said, “Today, we are flagging off with our registration and mobilization exercise. The 2027 general election will be between Nigerians and bad leadership. We are committed to a Nigeria where the child of a nobody can become somebody without knowing anybody.
“In this particular journey of 2027, we in the Southeast are working as a family, and we are discussing with other regions. We are working to unite all opposition. The common goal is to create a new Nigeria. The Southeast is part of Nigeria; no region is more Nigerian than the Southeast.
“We cannot continue in the era where Nigeria has become one of the worst five countries in the world. Nigeria has become the poverty capital of the world. We are committed to a new Nigeria where people are pulled out of poverty.
“They have been snatching ballot boxes in the past, but this time, we will ensure they don’t snatch and run with any ballot box; rather, we will catch them and count them out. The country cannot continue in that direction, which is taking us nowhere.
“We have about 2.8 million registered voters in the state, so I urge every one of you to go to the grassroots and ensure that you mobilize members to register and be ready to vote.”
Obi also insisted that all the laws being hurriedly created by INEC are simply aimed at enabling the ruling party to snatch the 2027 presidential election and run away with it.
He also issued a warning to INEC against interfering in the internal affairs of political parties, insisting that it had no reason to assume processes in how a political party elects its candidates.
“INEC has no reason to now assume processes in how a political party elects their candidates; they should rather focus on conducting elections. You don’t tell a team how to prepare their players before a match.
“As a referee, INEC’s role is to officiate and not to tell the team which players to play. This is the worst situation Nigeria is going into; no one is talking about governance. All they are interested in is how they will snatch and run with the ballot box.
“A referee does not determine the rules, choices, or lineup of players in teams or clubs. The electoral body should remain neutral and concentrate on its constitutional role of conducting credible elections,” he added.
In order to encourage more to join the party, he urged ADC members and sympathizers throughout the state to register at their local wards.
“Go to your wards and register. Be fishers of men,” Obi charged.
