Public affairs analyst Majeed Dahiru has issued a direct warning to President Bola Tinubu ahead of the 2027 elections, saying election rigging is a real danger and the surest way to avoid unrest is simple: do not rig the vote.
Speaking on Nigeria Info FM during the Let’s Talk program, Dahiru reacted to growing conversations around Operation Wetie and its possible return in 2027. He explained that references to Operation Wetie are not threats but reminders of how strongly people can react when they believe their votes have been stolen.
He pointed to history for proof. In the old Western Region, attempts to manipulate election results in Ondo State led to a total breakdown of order. Leaders tried to remove governor Adekunle Ajasin of the UPN and replace him with Akin Omoboriowo of the NPN. The result was widespread violence and chaos that shook the region.
Dahiru stressed that the real danger in 2027 is not public reaction but the act of election rigging itself. According to him, unrest only happens when people feel cheated. The solution, he said, is not to suppress reactions but to ensure the process is clean from the start.
He argued that when elections are free and fair, the opposition does not resort to violence. He cited the 1993 June twelve election as an example of a transparent process that did not trigger unrest. He also highlighted the 2015 election where the opposition won fairly and the country remained calm. Even in Bayelsa State, home of former president Goodluck Jonathan, the local loss was accepted peacefully without any signs of conflict.
Dahiru emphasized that Operation Wetie only becomes a risk when voters believe results have been manipulated. He insisted that protecting the integrity of every vote is the key to national stability.
He added that candidates who lose in credible elections usually accept defeat quickly and move on. Goodluck Jonathan was cited as a clear example, having conceded promptly after losing, a pattern that has repeated itself in other fair contests.
