The African Electoral Integrity Initiative (AE2I) has urged the executive, legislature, judiciary and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take deliberate steps to strengthen public trust in Nigeria’s democracy ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Executive Director of AE2I, Dr Daniel Omofoman, made the call at a news conference with the theme, “Sustaining Democratic Trust” on Friday in Abuja.

Mr Omofoman urged the executive to uphold transparency and accountability, the legislature to pursue responsive lawmaking and the judiciary to maintain its independence.

According to him, democracy thrives not only through elections but through citizens’ confidence in institutions, leadership, the justice system and the electoral process.

He stressed the importance of social justice, saying democracy could not flourish where laws were applied selectively or where institutions were weakened by political interference.

He called for equitable access to education, healthcare, employment, security and economic opportunities to tackle poverty and youth unemployment.

“Citizens are more likely to trust democratic institutions when they experience the tangible dividends of democracy in their daily lives.

“Good roads, quality schools, accessible healthcare and reliable public services are essential pillars of democratic legitimacy,” he said.

On political party administration, Mr Omofoman urged political parties to deepen internal democracy through transparent primaries and cautioned against violence, hate speech and unhealthy political rivalry.

Addressing security concerns, he advocated a decentralised policing system to tackle insecurity at the grassroots.

“I believe the National Assembly is already working on state police, but I would recommend county or local area council police to take policing down to the root. We must decentralise the system, equip them and actively engage local people,” he said.

Also speaking, the President of Nigerian Youth in Politics, Blessing Oyefeso, said the organisation was partnering with AE2I to rebuild young people’s confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.

Mr Oyefeso disclosed plans to deploy more than 300,000 youth electoral guards and observers to support security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission in reducing voter apathy and promoting peaceful elections.

The President of the Female Youth Network, Ebere Ebenezer, commended INEC’s Continuous Voter Registration portal but called for greater transparency in future elections.

“We are begging INEC for transparency. The same way the portal has been seamless is the same way we want the electronic transmission of results to be. We do not want technical glitches on election day; we want to see results uploaded in real time,” she said.

A gender advocate, Tina Chidi, encouraged women to participate actively in the 2027 political process, noting that women and youths constituted a significant voting bloc.

She urged more women to contest elective positions across the country.

Also, a lecturer and Special Envoy to the United World Congress of Diplomats, Hepzibah Suobo, highlighted the role of independent monitoring groups in promoting electoral transparency.

Mr Suobo called on the media to collaborate with civil society organisations and AE2I to boost youth participation in the electoral process.

He also advocated a nationwide voter mobilisation campaign to encourage young Nigerians to collect their permanent voter cards (PVCs) and participate in elections. 

(NAN)