Eniola Yekini
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, electoral experts, security stakeholders and media executives have called for sustained collaboration, institutional reforms and greater accountability among political actors to rebuild public confidence and ensure peaceful, credible and transparent polls.
The call was made at a public discourse themed “Strengthening Democratic Institutions for Credible Elections in Nigeria: 2027 and Beyond,” organised by the Alumni Association of the National Institute, AANI, Ondo/Ekiti States Chapter.
The panel, which featured INEC National Commissioner, Mallam Mohammed Haruna; Executive Director of the International Press Centre, IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade; Assistant Director General of DSS, Mrs Olufunke Amos; and political scientist at Ekiti State University, Dr Mike Omilusi, outlined measures to restore trust in the electoral process.
The INEC National Commissioner acknowledged a decline in public confidence after the 2023 elections, while highlighting progress in logistics, including online voter registration and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS.
He said the Commission is committed to intensifying grassroots engagement with traditional institutions to accelerate collection of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, and curb thuggery.
On party accountability, Arogundade challenged political parties to uphold internal democracy, respect signed peace accords and dismantle vote-buying networks that exploit poverty.
He said party leaders must stop using unemployed youths as instruments of electoral violence and embrace meaningful inclusion.
In her submission on inter-agency cooperation, Mrs Amos urged security agencies to move away from rivalry and institutionalise intelligence sharing.
She called for comprehensive human rights and electoral training for field operatives and strict penalties for misconduct before, during and after elections.
Delivering the keynote address, Dr Omilusi said successful 2027 polls require deep structural reforms beyond timetable adjustments.
He urged political parties to deploy trained, independent agents to capture and secure raw results from every polling unit nationwide to ensure transparency.
Ondo State Deputy Governor, Dr Olayide Adelami, who is patron of the chapter, said continuous system improvements remain non-negotiable for Nigeria’s democratic survival.
The forum called for a structured alliance among INEC, the judiciary, security agencies, civil society and the electorate to ensure that the will of voters is accurately reflected.
In his welcome address, Chairman of the association, Ondo/Ekiti Chapter, Dr Akinjide Akinleye, mni, said the engagement is strictly non-partisan.
He said the objective is not to promote any political party or individual, but to advance peaceful, credible, inclusive and transparent elections that strengthen democracy and safeguard national unity.
He assured that the discourse would go beyond identifying challenges to developing actionable recommendations for institutional reforms.
“Additionally, it is our desire that this discourse would be remembered not only for the quality of our presentations, but for its practical contributions to Nigeria’s democratic future,” Akinleye said.