By Hassan Hussain
As preparations for the 2027 General Elections gather momentum, stakeholders have called for increased citizens’ participation, credible elections, and stronger collaboration among key institutions to deepen Nigeria’s democracy.
The call was made at a one-day stakeholders’ workshop on “Strengthening Electoral Engagement for Peaceful Democratic Participation,” organised by the Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society in collaboration with the Mambayya House, Aminu Kano Centre for Democratic Studies, Bayero University, Kano, in Abuja.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Election Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation at the Nigeria Police Force Headquarters, Dr. Abayomi Shogunle, said the Force had reviewed previous elections to identify security gaps and strengthen election policing.
Dr. Shogunle said the lessons learnt had already yielded positive results, citing the peaceful conduct of recent governorship elections in Anambra and Ekiti States.
He explained that election security begins long before polling day through intelligence gathering, strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and coordinated deployment of personnel.
The Police Commissioner assured Nigerians of adequate security arrangements to ensure peaceful, free, and credible elections in 2027.
He also noted that low voter turnout should not be blamed solely on insecurity, urging eligible voters to fulfil their civic responsibility by participating in elections.
In a remark, the Chief Imam of Al-Habibiyyah Islamic Society, Imam Fuad Adeyemi, described credible elections as the bedrock of good governance and national development.
Imam Adeyemi said the partnership with Mambayya House was aimed at promoting inclusive dialogue on strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process.
He urged Nigerians to reject violence, electoral malpractice, and divisive politics, while embracing peace, unity, and responsible leadership.
Also speaking, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Alhassan Yahaya, highlighted the vital role of the media in providing accurate information, promoting voter education, and combating misinformation before, during, and after elections.
Mr. Yahaya called on the Federal Government to support the media industry and urged closer collaboration between the Independent National Electoral Commission and media organisations to strengthen election coverage through continuous capacity building.
One of the keynote speakers at the event, the Chief Executive Officer of the Good Governance Awareness Initiative, Dr. Maureen Onwukwe, called for the adoption of technology and stronger collaboration among security agencies to tackle vote buying and electoral violence in Nigeria. She described poverty as a major driver of vote buying, warning that the practice poses a serious threat to the country’s democracy.
She proposed the development of a “Vote Buy App” to enable citizens to anonymously report incidents of vote buying and electoral violence in real time. According to her, the application should be jointly managed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to facilitate prompt action against offenders.
The CEO also recalled an earlier recommendation for the provision of body-worn cameras for police personnel on election duty, noting that the initiative would enhance transparency and discourage electoral malpractice.
Dr. Onwukwe commended the Nigeria Police Force for what she described as its growing professionalism during elections, while urging the Force to go beyond maintaining law and order by ensuring the investigation and prosecution of individuals involved in vote buying.
She further recommended the establishment of dedicated vote-buying reporting desks in police commands across the federation to encourage citizens to report electoral offences.
Dr. Onwukwe equally called on civil society organisations to work together in promoting free, fair, and credible elections, expressing optimism that collective action would strengthen Nigeria’s democratic process.
Participants agreed that credible elections require the collective efforts of electoral institutions, security agencies, political actors, civil society organisations, religious leaders, the media, and the electorate.
They stressed that strengthening public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process remains essential to peaceful democratic participation and good governance.
The workshop brought together representatives of security agencies, the media, religious organisations, academia, and civil society to deliberate on strategies for promoting peaceful elections and encouraging active voter participation ahead of the 2027 polls.
