Democracy and governance experts recently convened in Gombe, northeast Nigeria, to examine the country’s electoral system and propose reforms aimed at strengthening democratic development.
The dialogue, hosted on 4 December by the Vice Chancellor of Federal University Kashere, Umaru Pate, featured PREMIUM TIMES publisher, Dapo Olorunyomi, as the chairman of the occasion, with former INEC Chairman Attahiru Jega serving as the guest lecturer.
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In their respective speeches, Messrs Jega and Olorunyomi emphasised that Nigeria, along with other democratic nations, must continually enhance the integrity of its elections to make them more credible and more influential on democratic governance and socioeconomic development.
Mr Jega argued that strengthening electoral integrity remains one of the most critical pathways to securing “good democratic governance.”
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Also, Mr Olorunyomi contended that credible elections can serve as the foundation for competent leadership, effective governance, and a renewed national purpose.
In his opening remarks, the vice-chancellor said the gathering came at a crucial moment for a country still searching for democratic renewal and institutional trust.
“As a public university, we bear a responsibility not only to train skilled graduates, but also to contribute meaningfully to national dialogue, democratic awareness, and responsible leadership,” Mr Pate, a professor of media and society, said.
He noted that Nigeria faces a crisis of public trust, declining civic engagement, rising misinformation and persistent governance failures, but added that citizens’ resilience and ongoing reform efforts offer hope.
Mr Olorunyomi, who also serves as the CEO of the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), stated that Nigeria’s elections have not yielded good governance, partly due to weaknesses in the architecture of electoral institutions.
He acknowledged reforms introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the years, including the BVAS and IReV systems. Yet, he said that gains remain fragile due to political interference, logistical problems and the growing judicialisation of elections.
“Increasingly, courts—not voters—determine winners, eroding trust in the sanctity of the ballot,” he said.
Mr Olorunyomi also faulted the state of political parties, describing many as hollow structures undermined by monetised primaries, godfatherism and imposed candidacies.
“When parties elevate poorly prepared or unqualified candidates, poor governance becomes not an aberration but an inevitability.
“Beyond institutions lies our political culture: the normalisation of vote buying, the persistent shadow of violence, and a growing cynicism that pushes many citizens toward disengagement. The consequence is a legitimacy deficit—leaders elected by a fraction of eligible voters are often unable to command the moral authority required for difficult reforms,” he said.
Despite these challenges, the veteran journalist said signs of democratic renewal are visible in expanding civic activism, rising youth participation, a more engaged diaspora, stronger independent media, and digital-driven public oversight.
He called for deeper reforms, including reinforcing INEC’s autonomy, democratising political parties, enforcing campaign finance transparency, and strengthening public institutions to prioritise merit over patronage.
Mr Olorunyomi emphasised the growing importance of accountability journalism and ethical artificial intelligence in defending electoral integrity and strengthening public scrutiny.
“In this rapidly changing landscape, accountability journalism and ethical AI are now indispensable. Nigeria’s media ecosystem demonstrates that investigative reporting, real-time fact-checking, and forensic electoral monitoring can counteract the distortions of digital platforms and opaque algorithms. At the same time, emerging ethical standards in AI—anchored in transparency, fairness, and protection from exploitative data practices—provide new guardrails for how political actors, platforms, and regulators deploy automated systems.
“Together, these forces form a counter-Leviathan: a democratic infrastructure of truth, scrutiny, and principled technological governance. They expand civic agency, protect electoral integrity, and reaffirm the principle that political choice must rest on fact, fairness, and a trusted public sphere.”
He added that Nigeria’s democratic performance carries continental significance, warning that failures embolden anti-democratic forces across Africa. He said the 2027 elections must serve as a watershed moment for rebuilding trust and signalling Nigeria’s commitment to democratic renewal.
“As Africa’s largest democracy, most populous country, and a cultural powerhouse, Nigeria sets precedents that reverberate across the continent. When our elections are credible, and our institutions work, we strengthen democratic norms in a region where they are fragile. When they falter, we unwittingly embolden anti-democratic forces elsewhere.
“This is why the 2027 elections must be a watershed moment—a chance to learn from past failures, repair broken bridges of trust, and signal to Africa and the world that Nigeria remains committed to the hard, necessary work of democratic renewal. If we rise to this historic responsibility, we will not only stabilise our own republic but also offer a model of hope and possibility for the developing world.”
The former INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, in his lecture, argued that periodic elections alone do not guarantee that citizens’ votes are unshackled or meaningful. He said only elections conducted professionally, efficiently and transparently and in which citizens vote with conscience, free of fraud, irregularities and inducement, can truly reflect the will of the electorate.
Mr Jega lamented that Nigeria has spent 26 years “muddling through” democratic development, constrained by poor electoral integrity, inadequate representation and a governance model that fails to address citizens’ basic needs for security, dignity and a decent quality of life.
“Free and fair elections, on which the political system and its governance model are predicated, have been essentially constrained, and their integrity undermined. This raises significant questions, especially about how Nigerians practice electoral democracy, and about the fate of Nigeria’s democratic development.”
The former INEC chairman said weak governance structures and institutions have contributed to a crisis of legitimacy, as citizens increasingly lose faith in the state’s capacity to protect their rights or address their needs.
“In present-day Nigeria, given what can aptly be termed as a crisis of governance at all levels, the processes, structures and institutions of governance are essentially weak, or have virtually collapsed, with regrettable consequences on desirable economic growth and socioeconomic development.”
This drift, he warned, has led to citizens becoming indifferent to political participation and constructive engagement in the governance processes, even losing hope in democratisation and governance processes, which is even more worrisome.
To reverse this, Mr Jega called for sustained reforms to strengthen electoral preparation and administration, insisting that integrity in elections has a direct correlation with quality representation and good democratic governance, which are primary requirements for democratic development and consolidation.
“One of the most important efforts to strengthen good democratic governance in Nigeria is to uplift the integrity of elections. This can and should be done by increasing the capacity, competence, and professionalism of INEC.”
He urged INEC to learn from global best practices, enforce sanctions against electoral offenders, deploy adaptable technology, expand voter education, and deepen partnerships with stakeholders on electoral integrity, nationally and internationally.
“It is also necessary to do whatever it takes to continue to enhance active citizen participation in political and electoral processes.”
The professor said these measures are essential in an era marked globally by democratic backsliding and autocratisation.
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Mr Jega concluded that elections with integrity remain the kernel of democratic consolidation. Free, fair and credible elections, he said, give citizens hope and confidence in governance and help mobilise active participation, an indispensable requirement for Nigeria’s democratic development.
“No doubt, Nigeria and Nigerians are desirous of entrenching good democratic governance. Therefore, serious attention needs to be focused on making Nigerian elections among the best, as soon as possible, in terms of integrity,” he said.
“In countries like Nigeria, which are currently in the sphere of, and practising, liberal, representative, or electoral democracy, there is a need for constant vigilance and effort to prevent democratic regression or backsliding and ensure electoral integrity to nurture, sustain, and consolidate good democratic governance.”
