“Let me assure you, this coming election, we will rig those who rig it,” Obi said, responding to a question about election rigging. The former Anambra State governor stressed that his party would not tolerate electoral manipulation without consequences.
If elected president, Obi promised to make rigging virtually impossible by overhauling Nigeria’s political system and electoral processes. “If I’m elected the president of Nigeria, nobody will rig election in this country again because the first thing we need to do is to strengthen our parties, strengthen the process,” he told supporters.
Obi also proposed new requirements for candidates seeking elective positions. He said anyone running for office must provide proof of attending both primary and secondary school, with clear documentation available to the public.
“For you to contest election, you must have attended a primary school, you must have attended a secondary school and it will be visible, it will be clear,” he said. Those who forge academic credentials or falsify educational claims would face jail time under his administration, he warned.
“If you didn’t attend any of them or forge your certificate, you go to jail,” Obi added. The threat extended to electoral officials and all others involved in administering elections.
Any INEC official or election administrator found guilty of rigging under his watch would be prosecuted, Obi declared. He emphasized that no one, regardless of rank or influence, would escape accountability.
“Under my watch, Nigeria must be a country that has a law, and both from the number one person to the last person must obey the rule of law,” he said. “Nobody must be above the law; nobody will behave rascally.”
Obi framed his electoral ambitions as part of a broader national transformation project. He told supporters that building a new Nigeria required establishing systems where citizens respected electoral rules and institutions functioned fairly.
“That’s why we are doing what we are doing. We want to change Nigeria.
A new Nigeria is possible, and that new Nigeria will be OK,” Obi added.