Human rights lawyer, Femi Falana (SAN), and renowned pro-democracy activist, Ayo Obe, have urged the Church to play a more active role in protecting democracy by monitoring government budgets and defending the rights of citizens ahead of the 2027 general election.

They made the call during Bishop Mike Okonkwo’s yearly birthday lecture titled, ‘Democracy at the Crossroads: Electoral Credibility, Judicial Integrity and the Future of Nigeria,” held at the Muson Centre, Lagos, on Thursday.

Falana, who was the chairman of the occasion, said the church has a responsibility to look beyond spiritual matters and pay attention to how public resources were managed, particularly at a time when the country was facing growing concerns over insecurity, poverty, political violence and weak accountability.

He said religious institutions could not afford to remain passive when decisions taken by government directly affect the lives and welfare of their members.

Falana urged the church to scrutinise government budgets at all levels and monitor how public funds are being spent.

He also called for the establishment of a human rights body within the church to monitor violations against church members and other Nigerians.

According to him, religious institutions could contribute to the protection of democracy by holding government accountable and ensuring that public resources are used for the benefit of citizens.

He said democracy should not be viewed only from the perspective of elections, stressing that accountable leadership, public service, welfare and the security of citizens are equally important components of a democratic society.

Falana warned that Nigeria’s democracy was at a crossroads ahead of the 2027 general election, citing threats of political violence, rigged party primaries, weak electoral credibility and concerns over judicial integrity.

He said elections remain the foundation of democracy and that citizens must be allowed to participate freely and peacefully in the democratic process without fear, intimidation or threats.

The human rights lawyer noted that disputes arising from rigged elections were usually taken before election petition tribunals and the courts, but expressed concern that many petitions were dismissed on technical grounds or because petitioners were unable to prove allegations of electoral malpractice.

He said the situation had emboldened those who rig elections to challenge their opponents to seek redress in court.

Falana also pointed to the governorship elections in Anambra and Ekiti states as examples of credible elections, noting that none of the candidates who lost in the two states filed petitions challenging the results.

He also referred to the August 15, 2026, governorship election in Osun State, saying the decision of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to accept the result and congratulate the winner meant the election would not be challenged at the tribunal.

“The development confirms that if credible elections are conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the electorate and not judges will determine the outcome of elections in Nigeria,” he said.

Falana consequently called on Nigerians to ensure the complete autonomy of INEC, saying the electoral body must be allowed to conduct elections without political interference.

He also raised concerns over threats of violence by political actors ahead of 2027 elections, warning that unless those making such threats were prosecuted, the country could continue to witness violence during subsequent elections.

The Senior Advocate recalled that a former Head of State had once described a general election as a “do or die battle,” after which the election turned bloody, with many people killed.

He noted that the political leader who made the threat and his agents were not prosecuted, warning that failure to hold political actors accountable could encourage similar conduct.

Falana also cited former Cross River State governor and Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) presidential candidate for 2027, Donald Duke, who alleged that some Nigerian politicians resorted to human sacrifice in their desperation to acquire political power.

He warned that the desperation for political power could further threaten the peace of the country if political actors are allowed to operate without consequences.

The senior lawyer said the government must also be compelled to end what he described as the reckless killing of unarmed citizens by terrorists, kidnappers, armed robbers and gunmen.

Falana also drew attention to vote buying, urging the police and anti-graft agencies to intensify efforts to stop the practice.

He argued that money being kept aside to bribe voters should instead be channelled into poverty alleviation programmes that would directly improve the lives of citizens.

According to him, democracy must translate into improved living conditions for citizens and not end with the conduct of elections.

Delivering the lecture, renowned pro-democracy activist, Ayo Obe, said the credibility of elections could not be determined solely by what happened on voting day.

Obe acknowledged that technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the Independent National Electoral Commission Election Results Viewing Portal (IReV) had improved the accuracy of vote counting.

She, however, said several factors continued to undermine participation and electoral credibility, including manipulation of voter registration, insecurity, violence, intimidation and vote buying.

Obe also raised concerns about the provisions of the 2026 Electoral Act, saying it placed more power in the hands of INEC by seeking to oust court jurisdiction over internal party affairs and imposing heavy costs on election petitions.

She warned that the power given to INEC to recognise factions within political parties placed an enormous responsibility on the commission, particularly because the exercise of such powers had not always been viewed as being above political interests.

On judicial integrity, Obe said it went beyond the absence of corruption, stressing that an effective judiciary must demonstrate independence, impartiality, competence, courage and transparency while retaining public confidence.