2027: Obi, Amaechi, Ezekwesili, Others Demand Sweeping Electoral Reforms.

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In preparation for the 2027 general elections, notable Nigerians and civil society figures have urged for extensive electoral reforms aimed at improving the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.

The proposals, which encompassed legal, procedural, and administrative aspects, emerged from discussions held during an Electoral Reform Summit convened on Zoom on Wednesday.

Among the participants were the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi; former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi; former Minister of Education, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili; political economist, Professor Pat Utomi; and Ambassador Nkoyo Toyo, alongside others.

Speakers at the event voiced alarm over what they characterised as a decline in the quality of Nigeria’s elections since 2015. They expressed regret that the progress made during the 2015 elections had been reversed due to subsequent poor conduct and contentious court rulings, which they argued prioritised legal technicalities over genuine justice.

In her address, Dr. Ezekwesili advocated for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to receive funding directly, insisting that the commission should be held responsible for the resources provided to it. She also recommended granting INEC enhanced authority to prosecute political actors for electoral offences.

“We need technology. We must now require a code for the use of technology in the new Electoral Act,” she stated, while also proposing reforms in the process of appointing electoral commissioners, with civil society groups taking a leading role.

Ezekwesili also highlighted the necessity of accountability in the judiciary concerning electoral matters. She recommended an automated system for allocating election-related cases to judges and urged the National Judicial Council (NJC) to sanction judges found guilty of misconduct.

Mr. Obi, in his contribution, asserted that democracy can only be sustained if the electoral process genuinely reflects the people’s will. He called for reforms that ensure transparent and credible elections, with secure collation and transmission of results directly from polling centres.

“It would be a double tragedy if Nigerians, after years of flawed leadership, also lose faith in elections. We must fix the system to ensure every vote counts and reflects the people’s mandate,” Obi said.

Other speakers referred to the country’s electoral issues as a “chicken-and-egg dilemma,” arguing that INEC would be unable to conduct credible elections without first implementing core structural changes.