By Sarah NEGEDU
Stakeholders across media, labour and security sectors, have called for renewed public trust and integrity in Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
They said the credibility of future polls will depend not just on institutional reforms, but on sustained transparency, civic enlightenment and professional conduct from all actors, including the media, the police and the political class.
This was the consensus during the public presentation of a new report by the International Press Centre, IPC, on rebuilding trust in Nigeria’s electoral process, electoral institutions and elections.
The event also featured the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding, MoU, between the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, GOCOP, and the IPC to advance gender-responsive election coverage.
According to the IPC, the report titled “Safeguarding Electoral Integrity for Democratic Stability in Nigeria” is the outcome of media-led, multi-stakeholder dialogues conducted across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones between 2023 and 2025.
The 16-page document seeks to rebuild public confidence in electoral institutions, strengthening civic participation, and promoting transparency ahead of the next general elections.
Presenting the report, the Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, said the initiative reflects the collective aspiration of Nigerians to see elections that genuinely reflect the people’s will.
He said the document captures the core elements of trust as they relate to transparency, accountability and fairness in the electoral process.
The document, he explained, highlights recurring demands for greater transparency in the management of elections, institutional independence for the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and effective voter education, particularly targeting young people and rural communities.
It also stresses the need for the media to combat disinformation, promote inclusion, and ensure impartial oversight in the democratic process.
Arogundade further pointed that while INEC remains central to electoral credibility, the active participation of other stakeholders, especially the media, civil society, and security agencies, is essential in sustaining transparency and accountability.
The report also advocated the unbundling of INEC to enable the National Orientation Agency, NOA, assume greater responsibility for civic enlightenment and voter education.
“This MoU is designed to bring IPC, NAWOJ and GOCOP together to advance gender reporting, particularly as it relates to elections coverage,” he said.
On her part, the National Chairperson of Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Aisha Ibrahim, emphasised the importance of promoting fairness, accountability, and gender sensitivity in media coverage.
She reaffirmed the commitment of the association to gender equity and transparency in political reporting, noting that the new MoU will drive stronger collaboration among women journalists, online publishers and media development organisations toward inclusive election coverage.
In the same vein, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Joe Ajaero, decried what he described as the “commercialisation of elections” in Nigeria, warning that democracy risks collapse if vote trading continues unchecked.
“It is unfortunate that elections in Nigeria have been transformed into a marketplace where votes are traded to the highest bidder. Our prognosis for this circle of election looks bleak, but the media must do its best to hold power accountable.”
Ajaero therefore called on the media to resist being drowned by political propaganda designed to manipulate public perception.
He advised that, “The media must resist being swamped by the propaganda of political elites whose main agenda is getting into power. The press must stand on the side of the people by being the mirror that reflects society, not the curtain that hides its flaws.”
Representing the Force Public Relations Officer at the event, SP Orvennonne Ikwen, reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s readiness to uphold democratic values in the 2027 elections.
According to Ikwen, the Nigeria Police Force has learnt vital lessons from the last election and is already embarking on capacity-building programmes to strengthen professionalism and public confidence.
She stressed that trust in elections is not built by words alone but by deliberate actions that demonstrate accountability. “The police will do their part towards upholding democratic principles and ensuring a safe and secure election in 2027. We also intend to engage more female officers during the exercise.”
