By Muhammad Mamman
Human rights advocate and #BringBackOurGirls co-convener, Aisha Yesufu, has thrown her weight behind Abia State Governor Alex Otti’s warning that anyone planning to rig the 2027 elections should “first write their will.”
Speaking to journalists in Umuahia at the weekend during the Girls Summit — where she also championed stronger action against gender-based violence — Yesufu endorsed Otti’s no-nonsense stance on electoral malpractice.
She described election rigging as a form of political coup d’état and asserted that those who subvert the democratic process should be treated as terrorists.
“We must all come together to ensure elections are not rigged. When you rig, it’s no different from staging a coup,” she said. “I’m pleased Governor Otti made that bold statement. Those planning to rig should indeed prepare their wills — stealing the people’s mandate is stealing their lives.”
Known for her fierce advocacy for democratic integrity, Yesufu warned that electoral manipulation threatens national development and must be resisted at all levels.
“The governor has consistently said that anyone trying to rig elections should be treated like a terrorist — and I stand with him completely,” she added.
Governor Otti had issued the controversial warning during his monthly media parley last week, cautioning political actors that any attempt to tamper with the 2027 Abia governorship election would face firm resistance from the people.
