PRO-democracy advocates have tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties, security agencies and other stakeholders on the need for credible elections in 2027.
They made the call at one-day national dialogue on election integrity and accountability with the theme “Beyond the Electoral Act: Ensuring Integrity and Accountability in Nigeria’s Elections,” in Abuja on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the dialogue was organised by Fix Politics Africa, a pro-democracy organisation, interested in enhancing democratic principles across the continent.
The Executive Director, Fix Politics Africa, Mr Anthony Ubani emphasised the need to restore Nigerians’ confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, before we ask the citizens to trust the electoral process, the institutions and actors who manage that process must prove that they are worthy of that trust.
He said that presidential election turnout had fallen from 53.7 per cent in 2011 to 26.7 per cent in 2023; describing the apathy as citizens’ waning belief in the value of participation.
“INEC must understand that transparency cannot be selective. When technology fails, Nigerians deserve immediate facts, not explanations days, weeks or months later.
“Political parties must stop behaving as if elections are warfare and votes, are commodities. The integrity of general elections cannot rise above the integrity of the primaries that produce its candidates.
“Security agencies must protect voters, not political interests. Neutrality must be visible and consistent. Citizens and civil society must do more than complain after elections. We must register, vote, observe, document, resist inducement and defend the ballot peacefully.
“Our courts must remain the last line of defence and not the place where Nigerians routinely go to discover who actually won an election,” he said.
In his remarks, the Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Mr Samson Itodo, said the three major threats to the integrity of the 2027 elections are violence, vote buying and political selfishness.
He, however, said that, as demonstrated in the just concluded Osun governorship elections, the resilience of the electorate could shape and ensure credible elections in 2027.
Itodo said that if Nigerians come out en masse to vote and defend their votes, it will be difficult for any individual, group or institution to compromise the process.
“We need to see high level of resistance on the part of citizens; it begins with showing up for elections, when people show up for elections in large numbers, it makes it difficult for the people to manipulate results.
“When you insist on following your results all the way; as citizens have the power to influence the work or work, even, we can influence the deployment of security agents but if we fold our hands saying the outcome has been determined, that’s what elections riggers want.
“Citizens really need to prove themselves capable of determining election outcome and it starts from coming out to vote,” he said.
Also speaking, social activist and founder of Citizens Hub, Ms Aisha Yusufu underscored the need for people with capacity and integrity to participate in party politics and elections.
She said that some people consider politics as a dirty game which makes people with integrity to stay away from party politics, leaving the room for people with less capacity to occupy.
Yusufu said that people with “white integrity” must prove themselves by going through the muds of politics and come out clean for the country to reach its destination.
In his part, the Executive Director of the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre, CISLAC, Mr Auwal Rafsanjani said that electoral credibility had gone beyond a single institution.
He emphasised the need to hold all actors such INEC staff members, security and party faithful as well as judges participating in electioneering processes accountable for their words, actions and inactions.
“We already have a legal framework, what we need is to ensure enforcement of the laws we have.
“We must demand operationalisation of our legal framework and ensure that actors behave and act responsibly and there must be sanctions as consequences for doing otherwise,” he said. (NAN)
A.I
Aug. 27, 2026
Tags: CISLAC Citizens Hub Fix Politics Africa INEC Mr Auwal Rafsanjani Mr Samson Itodo Ms Aisha Yusufu. YIAGA Africa
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