Obi Urges Nigerians to Own Electoral Process to Combat Rigging

Peter Obi, the former Governor of Anambra State and a member of the Nigerian Democratic Congress, addressed the challenges facing Nigeria's democracy during an interaction in Washington D.C. He emphasized that the failure of Nigerian citizens to take ownership of the electoral process encourages election rigging.

Obi stated that politicians alone cannot guarantee free and fair elections unless voters are determined to defend the sanctity of their ballots. He urged citizens to remain at polling units to cast their votes and monitor the counting process, rather than leaving immediately after voting.

Obi identified poor leadership as Nigeria's biggest challenge, despite the country's abundant human and natural resources. He reiterated the importance of citizen engagement in safeguarding the electoral process and called for the release of Nnamdi Kanu, stating there is no justification for his continued detention.