Ahead of the 2027 poll, critical stakeholders in the electioneering processes have proffered solutions to the menace of godfatherism and votes rigging which have been prevalent since the return to democratic rule in the country.
The call was part of recommendations made at the Subnational Strengthening Democracy Conference, held in Lagos on Thursday.
The conference, themed, ‘Pathway to Good Governance and Political Integrity,’ was organised through a strategic partnership between Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), African Centre For Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), and Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD).
The stakeholders stressed the need to ensure the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the judiciary, and security agencies in the country.
The conference brought together diverse stakeholders from academia, political parties, civil society organisations, traditional leaders, and governance experts to assess democratic progress and propose actionable reforms at subnational level.
In his welcome address, Director of Strategy at the African Centre For Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), Itia Otabor, called for the strengthening of democratic institutions at the subnational level due to the decay in democratic values in recent times.
Otabor expressed concern over weak institutions, poor internal party structures, and the lack of ideological consistency among political parties, arguing that without strong democratic institutions and well-structured parties, Nigeria’s democracy would remain unstable
The keynote speaker, Dr. Asekere Olujoke, a senior lecturer in the Department of Mass Communication, Yaba College of Technology, stressed that institutions such as INEC, the judiciary, the police, and other law enforcement agencies must be strengthened to ensure independence, efficiency, and accountability.
According to her, the National Assembly should pass legislation to grant financial autonomy to those institutions, ensuring that they are not beholden to the executive arm of government.
“These institutions should have financial adequacy and autonomy without strings attached. Attached to this, is the appointment of commissioners of INEC. Such appointment must be transparent and senatorial approval must be based on integrity and expertise.
Operational autonomy and accountability mechanisms of these institutions are key to strengthening democracy,” she noted.
She further emphasised that appointments to INEC’s leadership must be transparent, with Senate approvals based strictly on integrity and expertise.
Olujoke also underscored the need for greater citizen participation in the democratic process, advocating for voter education, mobilisation, and increased civic engagement to promote informed electoral choices.
In his paper presentation, Mr. Kunle Adegoke (SAN) emphasised the crucial role of stakeholders, CSOs, the media, security agencies, political parties, and INEC, in strengthening Nigeria’s electoral process.
He highlighted the importance of an independent judiciary in upholding electoral laws and ensuring justice in election disputes.
“A compromised judiciary is an albatross to the dispensation of justice,” he warned. “It must be shielded from political interference to maintain public confidence in the system.”
He added, “The judiciary is key to guaranteeing effective mass mobilization and oversight as it is the organ of government that can keep politicians and other political actors in check.”
On the role of security agencies, Adegoke stressed that their duty is to prevent electoral fraud, voter impersonation, ballot stuffing, and other forms of manipulation. However, he noted that security agencies have often failed in this regard and called for urgent reforms to ensure they uphold electoral integrity rather than serve political interests.
The guest speaker, Professor Sylvester Odion Akhaine, a pro-democracy advocate and governance expert, described godfatherism as a major obstacle to credible elections, stressing that political parties must prioritise internal democracy.
He said, “When a few powerful individuals determine who gets elected, democracy becomes a façade rather than a system that reflects the will of the people.”
In a communique issued at the end of the conference, the stakeholders called for strengthening of political parties, by promoting internal democracy and ensuring transparent candidate selection processes.
They noted that with the 2027 elections approaching, there was need for the immediate implementation of reforms to restore public confidence in the electoral process.
The stakeholders called for enhancing electoral awareness and voter empowerment, reducing the high cost of governance and promoting fiscal accountability. They also called for encouraging statesmanship among political actors to address godfatherism.
The stakeholders recommended improving electoral processes and integrity, urging political parties to uphold internal democracy to ensure credible candidate selection, while also calling for institutional frameworks to be strengthened to curb vote buying and electoral fraud.
They said there should be enhanced youth engagement in politics by providing young voters with accurate information to enable informed electoral participation.
The conference had panel session which discussed electoral violence, women inclusion and interagency collaboration. The second panel session discussed strengthening the roles of CSOs, political parties, media and other stakeholders in mobilizing citizens for electoral and political participation.
