2027: Aisha Yesufu Says Obi Supporters Will Track Votes From Polling Units to Abuja

Aisha Yesufu says supporters of Peter Obi are preparing for the 2027 presidential election with a strategy that goes beyond rallies, social media campaigns and voter mobilisation: keeping watch over the ballot and the result at every stage of the collation process.

Yesufu, a political activist and member of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said Obi’s supporters would deploy representatives to polling units across the country and monitor election materials and results as they move from polling units through the various collation levels.

Her position reflects one of the biggest lessons she believes the 2023 presidential election left for Obi’s supporters — that winning votes at the polling unit is only part of the electoral battle.

Yesufu wants supporters to follow results beyond the polling unit

Speaking during an interview with Arise News, Yesufu said Obi’s supporters would seek representation at polling units and remain involved throughout the result-management process.

Rather than leaving immediately after voting, she said supporters would monitor results from polling units through ward, local government and state collation centres and ultimately follow the process to Abuja.

Her argument is that political mobilisation must be accompanied by a mechanism for independently observing what happens to votes after they are cast.

Yesufu said she had little confidence in electoral institutions, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and the judiciary, and argued that citizens should take greater responsibility for protecting the integrity of their votes.

The remarks underline a broader concern among sections of Nigeria’s opposition electorate: that participation in an election does not end when a ballot is deposited in a box.

Why the 2023 election remains central to the argument

The 2027 strategy being advocated by Yesufu is heavily influenced by the experience of the 2023 presidential election.

Peter Obi, then the Labour Party candidate, finished third behind Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party, according to the final presidential result declared by INEC.

Obi’s campaign, however, generated significant support among young voters and urban voters in several parts of the country, while his supporters subsequently challenged aspects of the electoral process through legal channels.

For Yesufu, the lesson is that political movements need stronger grassroots structures capable of observing and documenting the electoral process as it unfolds.

That approach also places greater emphasis on polling-unit organisation than on large campaign rallies.

INEC’s 2027 preparations add another layer to the debate

The issue comes as Nigeria’s electoral authorities continue preparations for the 2027 general election.

INEC formally commenced the 2027 electoral process in February 2026 and said the election timetable was prepared under the Constitution and applicable electoral legislation. The commission has also announced measures aimed at strengthening the voters’ register, including a nationwide voter revalidation exercise.

INEC’s leadership has acknowledged that public confidence is essential to the credibility of elections, while also stressing the importance of logistics, technology, voter education and transparent result management.

The commission has separately published a revised timetable for the 2027 general election following changes to the electoral legal framework.

This means that by the time Nigerians vote in 2027, the contest will involve not only the candidates and political parties but also a much larger network of observers, party agents, civil society organisations, journalists and voters monitoring the electoral process.

Yesufu backs Obi despite political pressure

Yesufu also expressed confidence in Obi’s chances in 2027, arguing that the political environment has changed significantly since the last presidential election.

She pointed to economic hardship, insecurity and declining purchasing power as issues likely to influence voters.

According to her, Nigerians would increasingly judge political candidates based on competence, character and capacity rather than relying primarily on religious or other identity considerations.

She further expressed confidence that Obi could retain or improve his position in Lagos while making gains in other parts of the country.

Those claims remain political assessments rather than established electoral facts, and the eventual strength of Obi’s candidacy will depend on factors including voter turnout, opposition alliances, campaign organisation, candidate popularity and the broader political environment closer to the election.

Benue incident also enters the political conversation

Yesufu also addressed the reported obstruction of Obi’s convoy in Benue State.

She defended Obi’s decision not to confront those who blocked his movement, arguing that he had other engagements and should not allow individuals she described as “miscreants” to dictate his schedule.

The incident adds another dimension to the opposition campaign ahead of 2027, particularly around the ability of candidates to campaign freely across Nigeria.

Obi has increasingly presented himself as a candidate capable of building support beyond the areas where he performed strongly in 2023, making nationwide access and grassroots organisation increasingly important to his political strategy.

From rallies to result tracking

Perhaps the most significant part of Yesufu’s argument is the shift in emphasis from campaign mobilisation to election-day organisation.

Political movements can attract millions of supporters online and fill venues during rallies, but an election ultimately depends on what happens at polling units and during the subsequent management and declaration of results.

That is why Yesufu’s proposed strategy involves having representatives physically present throughout the process.

The approach also places considerable responsibility on party agents and supporters to understand electoral procedures, document events lawfully, preserve evidence of irregularities and use the appropriate legal channels when disputes arise.

It is important, however, that any such monitoring remains peaceful and within Nigeria’s electoral laws. Election observers, party agents and voters do not have authority to interfere with election officials or unlawfully obstruct the movement of electoral materials.

What happens next?

The coming months are likely to determine whether the proposed grassroots strategy develops into a nationwide organisational structure.

For Obi and the NDC, the challenge will be converting enthusiasm around the candidate into a disciplined network capable of operating across thousands of polling units.

For INEC, the challenge will be to convince voters and political parties that electoral safeguards, result management and dispute-resolution mechanisms can command sufficient public confidence.

And for voters, the most important question may ultimately be whether the 2027 election produces a process in which the votes cast at polling units can be transparently traced through the stages of collation to the final result.

Yesufu’s comments therefore point to a larger issue than the fortunes of one candidate. They highlight the continuing struggle over electoral trust in Nigeria — and the growing determination among political movements to ensure that their supporters remain engaged long after the voting itself has ended.