In a high-octane Valentine’s Day rally that sent political tremors across Nigeria, former Anambra Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain Peter Obi delivered a stern message to would-be election manipulators: protect the people’s votes in 2027 — or face personal reckoning.
Speaking at a massive gathering in Uyo where the ObIdient Movement formally aligned with the ADC, Obi declared: “In that polling booth in 2027, if they don’t count it, we count the person.”The statement, delivered with characteristic intensity, was met with thunderous applause from thousands of supporters. A clearer variant that quickly went viral captured the same resolve: “Anybody who refuses to count our vote, we will count the person.”
The event marked a significant political realignment. All 31 chapter chairmen of the Labour Party in Akwa Ibom, along with thousands of members from the APC, PDP, and LP, publicly defected to the ADC, citing Obi’s leadership, vision, competence, and compassion as the driving force. The defections were described as a major boost for the ADC ahead of the 2027 general elections.Obi also addressed rumours of establishment resistance, telling the crowd: “The Federal Government of Nigeria does not want me, Peter Obi, to be the candidate of any party. But I will be a candidate.”
The gathering, which doubled as the official unveiling of Obidient structures under the ADC banner, drew excited crowds that reportedly shut down parts of Uyo. National Coordinator of the ObIdient Movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, urged supporters to move from passion to structured political action through the ADC platform.In a separate, deeply human gesture on Valentine’s Day, Obi and his team quietly visited the home of a loyal supporter who had just lost her father. The visit — to offer condolences and share moments of solidarity with the grieving family — was widely praised as a touching reminder of the “compassion” many defectors cited as a reason for joining the ADC.Political analysts see the Akwa Ibom event as part of a broader opposition realignment.
Obi, who officially moved from the Labour Party to the ADC in December 2025, is positioning the party as the vehicle for his 2027 presidential bid. The massive defections in Akwa Ibom and similar moves in Kaduna signal early momentum for the coalition.With the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) having released the 2027 election timetable, Obi’s message was clear: this time, voters must not only turn out in large numbers but also ensure every ballot is properly counted — or those who fail to do so will themselves be “counted.”
The full impact of yesterday’s events in Uyo will unfold in the coming months, but one thing is certain: Peter Obi has drawn a line in the sand for 2027. The question now is whether Nigeria’s electoral system — and its gatekeepers — are ready for the scrutiny he has promised.
