Human rights activist, Aisha Yesufu, has explained why she rejected the House of Representatives ticket offered to her by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Yesufu said she turned down the offer because she was unwilling to compromise her principles or accept political conditions that conflicted with her values.
Speaking during an interview on Symfoni TV, the co-convener of the BringBackOurGirls campaign said she had received political offers tied to certain conditions but chose not to accept them.
According to her, political power should not be pursued at all costs, stressing that she would not make promises she could not fulfil or compromise her integrity in the process.
“I did not accept the House of Representatives ticket that was given to me because there were other people who were doing it on the issue of principle,” Yesufu said.
She added that she was not desperate to occupy political office, declaring that the interest of Nigeria should take precedence over personal political ambitions.
“We are not going to sell Nigeria. I don’t have to be president by force. We won’t make any promises that we will not fulfil,” she said.
The development followed an earlier disclosure by former Bayelsa State governor and NDC national leader, Seriake Dickson, that he and the party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, had offered Yesufu the House of Representatives ticket.
Yesufu had previously sought the party’s senatorial ticket but lost the contest to Mrs Amanda Pam.
Meanwhile, Yesufu also called on Nigerians to regard election day as an opportunity to effect political change through the ballot rather than resorting to violence or extra-constitutional means.
She argued that credible elections could provide Nigerians with a peaceful avenue to replace leaders and influence the direction of the country.
Yesufu also faulted the conduct of Nigeria’s electoral process, saying the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) itself was not necessarily the problem, but the individuals responsible for implementing the electoral process.
She cited discrepancies between the results of the 2023 presidential election and those recorded in the National Assembly elections as part of the concerns surrounding the credibility of elections in the country.
According to her, Nigerians must remain vigilant and demand that electoral officials, security personnel and other stakeholders uphold democratic principles.
“There is no better day for revolution than election day,” she said, arguing that Nigerians should use the electoral process to demand accountability and ensure that their votes count.
“Because on that day we will stand and be on the streets. Nobody is going to work. Nobody is traveling. Everybody will be there. So we can easily do that revolution that people call for on that day.
Yesufu warned that INEC should not be allowed to determine the credibility of elections based solely on its willingness to cooperate, insisting that citizens must actively demand compliance with electoral rules.
She further urged Nigerians to encourage public officials and security personnel involved in elections to discharge their duties professionally and ensure that electoral outcomes reflect the actual choices of voters.
She maintained that free, fair and credible elections remained essential to preventing political frustration and potential civil unrest in the country.
