The Obidient Movement has issued a highly confrontational warning ahead of the 2027 general elections, threatening what it described as a “rig-and-die” resistance against any attempt to manipulate election results and telling Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, and allies of President Bola Tinubu to “write their wills” before the polls.
The movement made the threat in a statement issued by its Media and Communication Directorate on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, in reaction to comments made by Wike during a television appearance on TVC.
Wike, a former governor of Rivers State, had dismissed claims by Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election and former Labour Party presidential candidate in 2023, and supporters of the Obidient Movement that Obi won the 2023 presidential election in Rivers State.
Speaking on TVC’s Journalists’ Hangout programme on Monday, Wike said the claim existed only in the imagination of Obi and his supporters.
“They won in their imagination,” Wike said, insisting that election victories were determined by results from polling units and subsequent declarations by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), rather than social media claims, crowd reactions or results from selected polling units.
Wike also questioned how supporters could establish an electoral victory from results in only a fraction of the polling units in Rivers State, which he said has more than 7,000 polling units across 23 local government areas.
“Out of over 7,000 polling units, until all results have come in, even if 200 polling units come out and say Obi or Atiku has won, it does not convince me,” he said.
The FCT minister further referred to the legal challenges that followed the 2023 election, asking whether those who claimed victory were able to establish their claims before the election tribunal.
“You can win on social media, but I am not interested in social media winning. I am interested practically in the results on the ground, who won, and who was declared,” Wike said.
Reacting to the comments, the Obidient Movement accused Wike and other political actors of manipulating the 2023 presidential election in favour of Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The movement described Wike’s comments as an alleged public admission of electoral manipulation and called on INEC to return to what it described as its constitutional responsibility of conducting credible elections.
“Even though this reconfirms what we have always known about the outcome of the 2023 elections, it is jarring to hear it once again in a braggadocio manner from a perpetual nuisance, Wike, on national TV,” the statement said.
The group alleged that what it described as electoral manipulation by Wike and his associates constituted an offence against Nigerians, comparing the alleged conduct with the consequences faced by military officers involved in coups.
“The kind of criminality that Wike and his ilk have continued to commit against Nigeria is worse than a military coup, but military officers who plan a coup are often summarily dismissed, prosecuted or even hanged, while crooks like Wike are rewarded with juicy political offices,” it said.
The movement subsequently issued its strongest warning concerning the 2027 elections, saying those who attempt to manipulate the outcome should expect resistance at polling units and collation centres.
“In view of the foregoing, the Obidient Movement hereby invites Wike and his co-conspirators to make sure they write their will before the 2027 elections, as Nigerians are determined to enforce the rig-and-die mantra from the polling units to the collation centres,” it said.
The group added that “any manipulation or attempted manipulation of the people’s will would be met with forceful resistance, including the possible infliction of terminal wounds on such people.”
The movement also accused INEC of alleged loyalty to the APC and demanded an end to what it described as partisanship by the electoral commission.
“INEC’s loyalty to the APC must therefore come to an end, as Nigerians will strongly resist any attempt to keep them in perpetual bondage under Tinubu’s sadistic and wasteful government,” the statement said.
The group further warned security agencies against interfering with the electoral process, arguing that their constitutional responsibility should be to protect voters, electoral officials and the democratic process rather than intimidate citizens or suppress opposition.
“Their duty is to protect voters, electoral officials and the democratic process, not to intimidate citizens, suppress opposition or facilitate electoral manipulation,” it said.
The movement also warned security personnel who, according to the group, might act against voters, saying they could be treated as enemies by citizens. It compared such personnel to armed robbers in its warning.
On the conduct of the 2027 elections, the group said it would reject any situation in which results were allegedly determined outside polling units.
“In 2027, Nigerians are not going to court, and will not accept results written by Tinubu, Wike, and a compromised INEC,” it said.
The movement also addressed political thugs, urging them not to allow politicians to use them to disrupt elections, warning that political actors could abandon them after the polls.
“Tinubu, Wike and other politicians might use you to scatter polling units because they believe you have nuisance value,” the group said.
“But when the election is over, they no longer need you, and they turn to their families when they need to travel on vacation or enter government house.”
The Obidient Movement maintained that the 2027 presidential election must ultimately be determined by voters at polling units and not by politicians, electoral officials or security agencies.
“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,” it said.
“We will insist that the results announced must reflect the votes actually cast by Nigerians.”
The group also cautioned that Nigerians’ traditionally peaceful disposition should not be interpreted as weakness, insisting that the ballot belongs to the electorate.
“Nobody should mistake the peaceful nature of Nigerians for weakness. The ballot belongs to the people,” it said.
“Nobody has the right to steal it. Nobody has the right to manipulate it. And nobody who abuses public office to subvert the democratic process should expect to escape accountability.”
The movement concluded by calling for the 2027 elections to be free, fair, transparent and credible, while insisting that the votes cast at polling units must be reflected in the final results.