By Emmanuel Oloniruha
An NGO, The West Africa Democracy Network (WADEMOS), has called for collective efforts by all stakeholders to strengthen Nigerian democracy, warning that any failure in our democratic process would pose severe challenges to the stability and democratic future of the African continent.
Regional Advocacy Officer for WADEMOS, Mr Austine Aigbe, said this on Wednesday in Abuja during a roundtable on democracy organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) Chapel.
Aigbe said that strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions was a collective responsibility that required active citizen participation rather than passive observation.
“If Nigeria does not get her democracy right, it will be a major challenge to the African continent.
“It is important that Nigeria’s democracy must be strengthened and we all have a responsibility,” Aigbe said.
He noted that civil society extends beyond traditional non-governmental organisations to include trade unions like the NUJ, religious institutions and everyday citizens.
“Any entity that is neither the state nor the private sector belongs to the non-state sector, including churches and mosques.
“Civil society members are citizens who play a major role in deciding who heads this country,” he explained.
Aigbe, urged Nigerians to actively counter electoral disinformation aimed at suppressing voter turnout in 2027 general elections and warned that voter apathy remained one of the easiest ways to manipulate votes.
“When they tell you, ‘No bother to go vote,’ they are afraid they will lose elections. So, they try to discourage some individuals from the voting process so that the few that can go, they could manipulate the process.
“Let me tell you, the easiest way to manipulate election is that there are few people at the polling units.
“Let’s encourage voters to the polling units in our numbers. It will be extremely difficult for anyone that wants to try to undermine the process to succeed,” he said.
Aigbe also charged the media and election observers to adopt proactive measures in safeguarding election results at the grassroots level.
While cautioning against premature declaration of election outcomes, he advocated for media platforms to secure digital copies of result sheets (Form EC60E) directly from polling units to ensure transparency.
He noted that establishing citizen-led result verification portals similar to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV), was within legal bounds and serves to support, rather than oppose, the electoral umpire.
“We are not anti-INEC; we are helping INEC,” Aigbe added, reminding the public that ad-hoc staff and electoral officers are citizens who also face the social consequences of flawed elections.
In his remarks, a development lawyer and civil rights advocate, Mr Frank Tietie, expressed deep gratitude to NAN for its historical role in promoting human rights and offering a platform to activists throughout their careers.
Tietie noted that professional, fair and unbiased journalism remains the bedrock of truth, justice, and state preservation.
“If today we are anything to reckon with in the media, in society, as civil rights advocates and as lawyers, we owe that background to many of you in NAN who acted purely out of professionalism,” Tietie said.
He cautioned journalists and civil society actors against taking stances that weaken national stability, urging them to prioritise the preservation of the Nigerian state above partisan interests.
“We are experiencing day-by-day the undermining of legitimate governments and in doing so, we’ve seen the power of the state being whittled down while battling insecurity.
“We must step up our journalistic responsibility to that of preserving the Nigerian state not necessarily preserving a government but preserving the state itself.
“Before we are journalists, lawyers, or civil rights activists, we must think first as citizens. We must maintain that neutrality to the extent that it behoves us to hold the responsibility of preserving this country first,” he said.
Tietie further pledged his law firm’s continued legal support to journalists and media practitioners, reiterating that the press holds the key to safeguarding democratic integrity in Nigeria. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
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Edited by Francis Onyeukwu