Leading presidential candidates have warned that they will not accept electoral outcomes they consider fraudulent or manipulated ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The contenders, including African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate Peter Obi, former Cross River State Governor Donald Duke and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice presidential candidate Rotimi Amaechi, made their positions known during a plenary session at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers.

Sowore issued the strongest warning, declaring that he would personally resist any attempt to deny him victory if he wins the 2027 presidential election.

He also rejected the practice of relying on courts to determine the winners of elections, insisting that electoral mandates must be protected at polling units and respected by all stakeholders.

According to him, voters must learn from the experience of the 2023 elections, when some candidates who claimed to have won their elections allegedly failed to take sufficient action to defend their mandates.

Sowore cited former Kogi State Senator Dino Melaye, whom he described as his former friend, recalling his concerns over how candidates would protect their votes.

He urged Nigerians not to vote for politicians who, after claiming victory at the polls, would abandon their mandates and leave the matter entirely to the courts.

Sowore said he would not allow such a situation to occur if he emerged victorious in 2027.

“I am standing here. If anybody takes a vote on an election I won, the person will not be president of Nigeria, I can assure you that. Even if it takes my life,” he declared.

He further argued that electoral disputes should not become battles fought primarily in court, saying the winner of an election should be determined by voters on election day.

“It is the reason why we must not rely on judges and lawyers to determine our elections,” Sowore said.

“We don’t want our elections to go to your courts again. We must determine the winner of the election on the day of the election, so that the only thing a lawyer will do in an election is to help us swear in the winner of the election. Nothing more, nothing less.”

The AAC candidate went further to warn that his supporters would mobilise against any outcome they considered illegitimate.

“If we can’t get that, we shut down the country until we get the right leader who won an election,” he said.

Sowore maintained that victory could only be secured by actively defending votes, adding, “There is no way we can win if we don’t fight. And there is no way we can lose, since we are fighters.”

He added: “Yes, we will win. No, we will not accede if it’s not fair and credible.”

Duke also rejected the idea of accepting an election result simply for the sake of maintaining political peace, insisting that fairness must be the basis for accepting electoral outcomes.

“Why should I accept something that is wrong?” Duke asked.

“If it’s not fair, I will not accept it. I may not go to the court, but personally, I will not accept it.”

Obi similarly said he would accept the outcome of a genuinely free and fair election but would reject a result produced through an unfair process.

“Definitely, if it is free and fair, we will accept. If not, we will not accept,” the former Anambra State governor said.

Amaechi, who is the ADC vice presidential candidate, focused on the need for political leaders to transcend ethnic considerations in the 2027 contest.

He argued that Nigeria needed candidates capable of appealing across regional and ethnic boundaries rather than politicians who presented themselves primarily as representatives of particular ethnic groups.

“We are the most detribalized candidates, if you look at where we are coming from. So, we will win,” Amaechi said.

“We are not Yoruba, we are not Igbo, we are not Hausa, we are Nigerian candidates.”