Former Governors Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State and Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State have warned that Nigeria’s democracy faces grave danger from electoral fraud, voter apathy, and systemic political manipulation as the country moves toward the 2027 general elections.
Both leaders issued the warning at the fifth anniversary lecture of First Daily Newspaper, held yesterday in Abuja, where politicians, diplomats, and media executives convened to discuss the theme: “2027: How Can We Make Our Votes Count?”
“Rigging is the worst coup,” says Dickson
Chairing the event, Senator Dickson declared that election rigging amounts to a coup against the people’s sovereignty.
“Rigging of elections is the worst coup you can plan,” he said. “A worse violation of the sovereignty of the people is when politicians, governments, security agencies, and even the electoral umpire collude to manufacture results that bear no relation to how the people voted.”
He condemned the culture of post-election impunity where fraudulent outcomes are justified with the phrase “go to court.”
“Anyone who carries out such acts has committed a coup against democracy and the nation,” he added.
Reflecting on his experience as a governor from the opposition, Dickson noted that many politicians view “election planning” as a criminal conspiracy rather than a democratic process.
He urged the National Assembly to strengthen electoral laws to prevent result falsification and safeguard the people’s mandate.
Amaechi: No government can reform elections while in power
In his goodwill message, former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, echoed Dickson’s concerns and argued that no incumbent government is capable of enacting true electoral reforms.
“The problem with elections in Nigeria is that there is no incumbent government that can achieve electoral reform—none. We already tried it and failed,” Amaechi said.
He blamed entrenched political interests for frustrating reform efforts and criticised opposition parties for failing to offer credible alternatives to the ruling elite.
Amaechi warned that voter apathy and public indifference continue to enable electoral malpractice.
Amadi: Electoral bodies too close to political power
Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, decried the erosion of independence in Nigeria’s electoral management system.
“Everyone who has something to do with the management of elections is connected to the president,” he said, warning that democracy would remain fragile as long as electoral officials are politically aligned.
Amadi described the situation as a system where elections have become contests of force and influence rather than expressions of the people’s will.
‘Nigeria has a leadership crisis’ — Publisher
In his welcome remarks, Daniel Markson, Publisher of First Daily Newspaper, lamented that flawed elections and weak governance had deepened Nigeria’s leadership crisis.
“There is a leadership issue in this country. I’m not pointing fingers at anyone here, but we must tell ourselves the truth — we have failed,” he said.
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