Stakeholders in Nigeria’s electoral process have urged electoral authorities and other key actors to address weaknesses identified during the 2026 Ekiti and Osun governorship elections to improve the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
The call was made in Abuja during the presentation of post-election reports by the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) Election Observation Hub.
The stakeholders identified election administration, security, result management, media coverage and the participation of women, young people and persons with disabilities as areas requiring improvement before the next general elections.
Executive Director of the Centre for Media and Society, Dr Akin Akingbulu, said more than 1,400 citizen observers were deployed across the 46 local government areas in Ekiti and Osun to monitor the elections before, during and after voting.
He said 598 observers monitored the June 20 Ekiti governorship election across 16 local government areas, while 823 were deployed for the August 15 Osun poll across 30 local government areas.
The stakeholders called for stronger voter protection, greater ballot secrecy and more transparent management of election results. They also stressed the need to improve the safety of journalists and election observers.
They urged electoral authorities and political parties to take concrete steps to ensure that women, young people and persons with disabilities could participate more fully in the electoral process.
The reports were presented as part of efforts to draw lessons from the two governorship elections and apply them to preparations for the 2027 polls.
Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, was among the stakeholders who addressed the gathering.
The participants said credible elections would require a shared commitment from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties
Discussion0