*Insists Nigerians, not INEC, will determine the credibility of the polls
*Says it is time to say "enough is enough" to worsening economic hardship, defend every vote
The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has urged Nigerians to use their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to end what he described as the growing scourge of hunger and poverty in the country, insisting that the electorate, rather than the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), would determine the credibility of the 2027 general election.
Obi made the call on Friday while speaking with journalists after attending the burial service of the late Pa Simon Okorie Abaa, father of the NDC senatorial candidate for Ebonyi South, Chief Linus Okorie, at Isiama Primary School, Onicha Igboeze, in Onicha Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
The former Anambra State governor said Nigerians must take responsibility for safeguarding their votes, stressing that the electoral umpire would only act in line with the determination of the people.
"It is not about confidence in INEC. Do I still have confidence in the people? Because it is the people that will determine what INEC will do. If the people insist that their votes will count, their votes will count," Obi said.
He urged citizens to reflect on the nation's current situation and the future awaiting younger generations if the present trajectory continued.
"It is for Nigerians to look at what is happening in the country today and ask themselves what the future holds for our children in this enterprise called Nigeria.
Are we going to continue in this direction? Anybody talking about changing Nigeria today is making the ultimate sacrifice because we cannot continue like this," he stated.
Obi lamented the worsening economic conditions across the country, saying poverty and hunger had reached alarming levels and were evident in both urban and rural communities.
"Every day poverty is increasing. Every day hunger is increasing. You don't even need World Bank reports to know this because you can see it in the villages.
"They are saying that about 70 million Nigerians are facing acute hunger. What are we going to do about it? Are we going to continue like this? No. That is not possible," he said.
Speaking on concerns over possible intimidation and harassment of opposition supporters ahead of the elections, Obi maintained that Nigerians were already facing a more serious form of hardship occasioned by the country's economic realities.
"For me, every Nigerian is already being harassed by hunger. People are being harassed by the worsening situation in the country. Everybody is affected.
"It is time for Nigerians to tell those who are harassing us that enough is enough," he declared.
Earlier, Obi paid tribute to the late Pa Simon Okorie Abaa, describing him as a man who lived a fulfilled life and offered prayers for the bereaved family.
He noted that his relationship with Chief Linus Okorie dated back to their days in the Labour Party before both joined the NDC.
"We have worked together before in the Labour Party and now we are in the NDC. That shows we have a close relationship. We are here today to pay our last respects to his late father.
"I pray that God Almighty, who gave Papa a long life and has now called him home, will grant him eternal rest and give the family and all of us the fortitude to bear this irreplaceable loss. May God continue to bless the family," Obi said.
The NDC presidential candidate reiterated that the 2027 election presents Nigerians with an opportunity to chart a new course for the country through peaceful and credible democratic participation, urging eligible voters to defend their mandates at the polls.
