President of the South-South Youth Initiative, Saviour Oscar, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rebuild public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Mr Oscar made the call in an interview on Thursday in Port Harcourt.

He said that rebuilding public trust was necessary to prevent voter apathy during the 2027 general elections.

He stated, “Many Nigerians no longer trust the electoral process, the judiciary or even political leaders. Some already think that their votes will not count. INEC needs to be more transparent and ready to conduct credible, free and fair elections across the country.”

The youth leader identified glitches associated with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System during previous elections as another cause for concern.

He urged INEC to address the challenges and demonstrate greater transparency to restore public confidence in the electoral process.

Mr Oscar also reiterated the need for the judiciary to rekindle public trust as the last hope of ordinary people

“The people must have reason to trust the judiciary to be fair and just in handling election-related disputes,” he said.

He urged politicians to use the campaign period to present their manifestos to the public in order to encourage greater participation in the elections.

“Politicians should make the people believe that elections are won only by their votes and not through rigging.

“They should concentrate more on telling Nigerians how they intend to make our country better,” he said.

(NAN)