The Obidient Movement has warned political actors against attempting to manipulate the 2027 general elections, saying Nigerians would resist any effort to subvert the electoral process.

The group issued the warning in a statement released on Tuesday in reaction to comments by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, during a television programme about the 2023 presidential election. 

Wike had discussed the strategy adopted by the former Peoples Democratic Party G5 governors during the 2023 presidential election, saying the group deliberately allowed Labour Party candidate Peter Obi to gain votes in some South-South states rather than allow PDP candidate Atiku Abubakar to benefit from them.

He, however, said Rivers State was treated differently because the group did not want Obi to win the state. 

Reacting, the Obidient Movement accused Wike and other political actors of manipulating the 2023 election, an allegation the group said reinforced its longstanding position on the poll.

The movement warned that any attempt to manipulate the 2027 election would be resisted, telling those planning such actions to “write their will” before the election.

It also declared that Nigerians would not accept election results allegedly predetermined by politicians or electoral officials and said the outcome must reflect votes cast at polling units. 

The group called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct credible elections and urged security agencies to protect voters, electoral officials and the democratic process rather than interfere with the process.

It also appealed to young Nigerians not to allow themselves to be recruited as political thugs, warning that politicians could abandon them after the elections.

The Obidient Movement further said it would not accept a situation where disputes over election results were simply left to the courts, insisting that the electoral process itself must be transparent and credible.

“The 2027 election must be decided by voters at the polling units, not by politicians in private rooms, electoral officials behind closed doors or security agencies acting outside their constitutional mandate,” the group said. 

The movement called for the 2027 elections to be free, fair, transparent and credible, with results reflecting the votes actually cast by Nigerians.