By Media Office, NDC South-South Zonal Secretariat
The South-South Zonal Secretary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Clement Agiangie, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that the 2027 General Elections are conducted in a free, fair, transparent and credible manner, warning that there must be no room for rigging, manipulation or avoidable technical glitches.
Agiangie, who made the call in a statement issued on Tuesday, said the credibility of Nigeria’s democratic process would depend largely on the preparedness, independence and professionalism demonstrated by the electoral umpire before and during the 2027 elections.
According to him, the recently concluded Osun State gubernatorial election provides important lessons which INEC must critically examine and apply in its preparations for the forthcoming general elections.
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He acknowledged that the Osun election represented, to a considerable extent, an improvement on some previous electoral exercises, particularly the widely criticised 2023 General Elections, but stressed that the progress recorded should not become a reason for complacency.
“The 2027 General Elections must be free, fair, transparent and credible. There must be no room for rigging, manipulation or any avoidable glitch capable of undermining the will of the electorate,” Agiangie stated.
The NDC South-South Zonal Secretary further urged INEC to undertake a comprehensive review of the Osun electoral process, identifying areas of strength as well as shortcomings that require urgent correction.
He said such a review would enable the Commission to consolidate on the gains recorded while addressing weaknesses before the country goes to the polls in 2027.
“We commend the areas where there has been improvement, because the Osun election was, to a larger extent, better than what Nigerians experienced in previous elections. However, an election can only be considered truly successful when every credible vote counts and the outcome reflects the genuine choice of the people,” he said.
Agiangie maintained that Nigerians were becoming increasingly conscious of their constitutional responsibility and would not accept any attempt to manipulate their votes through electoral malpractice, administrative shortcomings or technological failures.
He therefore urged INEC to strengthen its electoral technology, personnel, logistics, voter accreditation and result-management systems, while ensuring that political parties and other stakeholders are adequately carried along throughout the electoral process.
The NDC chieftain also called for greater transparency in the deployment and operation of electoral technologies, noting that public confidence would increase when voters, political parties, candidates and observers are able to understand and independently verify the various stages of the electoral process.
“INEC must learn from every election. The Osun experience should not merely be archived as another electoral event; it should serve as a practical reference point for correcting identified gaps and strengthening the system ahead of 2027,” Agiangie added.
He stressed that the responsibility for credible elections does not rest exclusively on INEC, calling on political parties, candidates, security agencies, election observers, the media and the electorate to play their respective roles in protecting the integrity of the democratic process.
According to him, political actors must embrace issue-based campaigns and respect the rules of engagement, while security agencies must remain professional, neutral and committed to protecting voters and electoral personnel without intimidation or partisan interference.
He equally appealed to Nigerian voters to remain vigilant, exercise their franchise peacefully and reject inducement, intimidation and every form of electoral malpractice.
“The people own their votes, and their votes must determine who governs them. No individual, political party or institution should be allowed to subvert that constitutional right,” the NDC South-South Zonal Secretary said.
Agiangie reiterated the NDC’s commitment to a democratic process in which the people’s mandate is respected, insisting that the 2027 elections must mark a significant step forward in Nigeria’s quest to consolidate democratic governance.
He consequently urged INEC to begin early preparations and stakeholder engagement, conduct a thorough post-election assessment of the Osun exercise and implement necessary reforms well ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
He said Nigerians were looking forward to an electoral process in which every vote counts, every voter is protected and every legitimate mandate is respected.
