A prominent economist and banker, Mohammed Hayatu-Deen, has raised concerns over what he described as a growing threat to Nigeria’s democratic integrity, warning that recent actions by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could erode public confidence in the electoral process.

In a statement issued on Friday, Hayatu-Deen cautioned that decisions capable of limiting political participation risk weakening the foundations of democracy, particularly in a country already grappling with economic and security pressures.

He questioned the implications of INEC’s reported move to revalidate the national voters register, as well as its decision not to engage with the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing both as actions with potentially far-reaching consequences.

“When a commission charged with protecting participation instead restricts it, we must ask: in whose interest does it act?” he said.

According to him, any measure that could disenfranchise voters or prevent political parties from fielding candidates strikes at the core of democratic rights and undermines the principle of equal access.

“Democracy is not merely a calendar of elections. It is a covenant, one that demands equal access, transparent rules, and the unshakeable confidence of citizens that the process is fair,” he stated.

Hayatu-Deen warned that the erosion of trust in electoral institutions often begins subtly but can have lasting consequences for governance and national stability.

“Once that confidence is undermined, the legitimacy of every outcome that follows is called into question. Nigeria cannot afford that erosion,” he added.

He further linked the integrity of democratic institutions to broader national challenges, arguing that governance, economic stability and security are deeply interconnected.

“Weaken the institutions, and you weaken the nation’s capacity to heal itself,” he said.

While maintaining that his intervention was not politically motivated, the former presidential aspirant urged authorities to exercise restraint and uphold the rule of law, stressing that democratic decline rarely occurs through dramatic events but through gradual institutional shifts.

“The gradual erosion of democratic norms is rarely dramatic. It announces itself in quiet exclusions, and in institutions that bend just enough to serve power,” he noted.

He called on Nigerians across political divides to remain vigilant, emphasising that safeguarding democracy is a collective responsibility.

“The preservation of our democracy is not the work of any single party or person. It is a shared responsibility,” he said.

Hayatu-Deen, an elder statesman from Borno State, has had a distinguished career spanning over four decades in banking and economic policy. He previously served as Group Managing Director of the New Nigeria Development Company and played a key role in transforming FSB International Bank into a leading commercial institution. He is also a former chairman of the Nigerian Economic Summit Group and was conferred with the national honour of Officer of the Order of the Niger.