A two-day national conference aimed at promoting the sanctity of the ballot and inspiring credibility in the electoral process will be held next week in Abuja.
The conveners of the summit have invited former Vice President and presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); and others as speakers and discussants. The conference will take place on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
Former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), will declare the conference open. Incidentally, the National Peace Committee, which he chairs, is one of the event’s organizers.
Addressing journalists on Thursday in Abuja, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, Founding Executive Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD) and one of the five collaborating organizations, disclosed that the goal of the conference is “to ignite a discussion aimed at tackling the pressing challenges that threaten the very foundation of democracy in our country. As conveners, we are committed to addressing the complexities and setbacks that Nigeria’s democratic system currently faces, with the purpose of finding actionable solutions to restore and strengthen our national governance.”
He continued, “The purpose of the conference lies in a vision for a democracy that is genuine, resilient, and inclusive. As many of us know, Nigeria’s democratic journey, though spanning 25 years of uninterrupted civilian rule, is beset by structural and functional flaws.”
According to the spokesperson of the conveners, these flaws include electoral malpractices, ineffective political parties, weakened governance structures, pervasive corruption, and a concerning erosion of public trust.
He added, “The goal of the conference, therefore, is to reignite hope, rebuild trust, and lay out a roadmap toward a strengthened democratic system that serves all Nigerians with integrity and accountability.”
“First, we recognize the urgent need for democratic reforms. At the heart of our democratic challenges lies the pressing requirement for a political environment free of manipulation, imposition, and exclusion. For too long, Nigeria’s political landscape has been dominated by elite cliques, leaving citizens feeling alienated from the governance processes that directly impact their lives.”
“Our aim through the conference is to initiate reform efforts that will strengthen our electoral process and ensure that our leadership selection process is credible.”
“Second, we seek to mobilize and strengthen our political parties. Political parties are the bedrock of any democracy, yet in Nigeria, they often fall short of the ideals of transparency, accountability, and responsiveness. The focus of the conference includes fostering the development of political parties that are truly representative, open to internal democracy, and accountable to the people. By addressing these issues, we envision political parties that champion the voice and needs of Nigerians, providing viable choices for leadership and governance.”
“Another key reason we are organizing the conference is the need to mobilize citizens for democratic resilience. Democracy is only as strong as the citizens who uphold it. As conveners, we believe that engaging Nigerians at all levels—from grassroots communities to influential stakeholders is fundamental to creating a resilient democracy. The conference, therefore, provides an avenue to reignite civic engagement, encouraging Nigerians to actively participate in the democratic process and demand accountability from leaders at every level. Through such mobilization, we aim to foster a culture of informed citizenry with the power to shape and safeguard our democracy.”
The conveners also revealed that, in addition to prominent figures from the predominant political parties, the electoral umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), would also be invited. They noted, “INEC is key to the discussion of reigniting confidence in the electoral process.”
Dr. Igbuzor, who expressed hope that the discussants would genuinely address the needs of Nigerians, further emphasized, “The outcomes from the conference will provide a solid foundation on which we can rebuild confidence in our institutions, increase transparency, and set a standard of integrity for future governance.”
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