Sunday Ehigiator
Former governors of Rivers and Bayelsa States, Hon. Rotimi Amaechi and Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, have warned that Nigeria's democracy faced grave danger from persistent electoral fraud and growing voter apathy capable of endangering the 2027 elections.
Speaking at the fifth anniversary lecture of First Daily newspaper in Abuja, themed: '2027: How Can We Make Our Votes Count?', the duo lamented that political manipulation and weak institutions have continued to undermine citizens' sovereignty.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, was blunt in his assessment, declaring that no sitting government could deliver true electoral reform.
"The problem with elections in Nigeria is that no incumbent government can achieve electoral reform. None. We tried it and failed," Amaechi said.
He accused politicians of frustrating reform efforts for personal gain and faulted opposition parties for lacking unity and focus.
"The opposition is part of the problem. They are not discussing how to save Nigeria. Nobody is asking how to change things," he lamented.
Amaechi further warned that voter apathy fueled electoral malpractices, urging Nigerians to resist cynicism.
"The first solution to electoral reform is not government; it's the people. The more you say the results are already written, the more people stay home. That apathy will make the incumbent stay in power," he said.
In his address as chairman of the event, Dickson described electoral fraud as "a coup against the people's sovereignty," urging the National Assembly to strengthen laws that protect the sanctity of the ballot.
"We have a long way to go in protecting the sovereignty that the constitution says belongs to the people. Rigging of elections is the worst coup you can plan," he said.
The senator representing Bayelsa West decried the alleged collusion between politicians, security agencies, and electoral officials to falsify results, saying such acts subvert democracy.
"When politicians and electoral umpires fabricate results that bear no relation to the votes cast, that's a coup against democracy," Dickson stated.
He recalled his own experience with electoral manipulation while serving as an opposition governor, noting that Nigeria's democracy "will remain fragile" until credible elections were guaranteed.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Delivering the keynote lecture, the Director of Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr. Sam Amadi, said Nigeria's democracy was being hollowed out by systemic corruption and the politicisation of election management.
"Our elections are rigged in one form or another. Everyone connected to managing elections is linked to the president," he said, lamenting the erosion of neutrality in the appointment of electoral officials.
Quoting development economist, Paul Collier, Amadi added:"When elections are criminalised, only criminals can win," noting that the high cost of politics has turned elections into "warfare."
He called for civic mobilisation and greater scrutiny of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that "INEC must be opened to scrutiny."
Earlier In his welcome remarks, the Publisher of First Daily, Daniel Markson, bemoaned Nigeria's leadership crisis, attributing it to decades of flawed electoral processes.
"There is a leadership issue in this country. Let's tell ourselves the truth: we have failed. I am 55 years old, and I can't remember a time Nigeria truly worked for me," he said.
