Popular activist and social critic, Aisha Yesufu, has urged Nigerians to take responsibility for the integrity of the 2027 general elections, saying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cannot rig elections without the involvement or silence of the citizens.
In a strong message posted on her official X (formerly Twitter) handle, Yesufu stressed that the real power lies in the hands of the people, not in the electoral body or other institutions.
“INEC is not the problem. The people in INEC are the problem and they are among the 220 million people,” she wrote. “There is no INEC Chairman that can rig an election if the people working in INEC do not collude.”
Yesufu, known for her outspoken activism during the #EndSARS protests and as a co-founder of the Bring Back Our Girls movement, said many Nigerians have been too passive, waiting for divine intervention rather than taking action to safeguard democracy.
“No rigging can happen without our support,” she stated. “We have refused to engage, waiting for God to do it all.”
She highlighted that those responsible for electoral fraud and manipulation are not strangers, but ordinary Nigerians — friends, family members, neighbours, and religious colleagues — working within INEC and other critical institutions.
“These people are our brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children, cousins, neighbours, church members, fellow mosque worshippers, work colleagues etc. Let us begin to warn each other to not rig or allow rigging,” she advised.
Yesufu extended her criticism to other public institutions often accused of undermining democracy, such as the judiciary, police, and military. However, she clarified that these institutions are not inherently the problem — it is the individuals within them who abuse their positions.
“The judiciary is not the problem, the people in the judiciary are the problem. The police are not the problem, the people in the police are the problem. The military is not the problem, the people in the military are the problem,” she stated.
The activist concluded her message by calling on Nigerians not only to vote but to actively defend their votes and ensure the results are properly counted and respected.
“Unless you vote and defend your vote and ensure it is counted for your candidate, what you did is not voting but paper painting,” she warned.
