The Independent National Electoral Commission and the National Peace Committee have warned that Nigeria is at a “very critical stage” in its democratic evolution, urging political actors to abandon the “politics of power” in favour of people-centred governance.

The position was articulated on Monday in Abuja at a meeting with electoral stakeholders, titled ‘Briefing and Presentation of the Annotations to the Peace Accord’, organised by the National Peace Committee in collaboration with The Kukah Centre, with support from the European Union.

The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said Nigeria’s electoral landscape remains diverse, complex, and highly competitive. However, he lamented that since independence, politics has often been pursued in ways that undermine national development.

“The problem we have had since independence is that we have been involved in politics, but let me say politics in the wrong way. We play the politics of power as against the politics of the people,” he said.

“At this crucial stage of development, when we should be breaking the level of underdevelopment and getting counted among developed nations, we still find ourselves bogged down by issues that ought to have been muted years ago.”

Prof. Amupitan described recurring electoral challenges as “unfortunate monsters” that must be confronted decisively to safeguard democracy. He stressed that democracy and development are interconnected, noting that countries once economically behind Nigeria have progressed by strengthening democratic institutions.

He revealed that INEC is reviewing its regulations to improve electoral processes ahead of 2027. Plans include the introduction of Geographic Information System mapping of polling units and the development of improved voter interaction platforms.

The INEC chairman added that the commission is working to sanitise the voter register by eliminating duplicate entries and removing deceased persons. He also pledged continued collaboration with law enforcement agencies to combat vote-buying and related offences.

In his remarks, the Chairman of the National Peace Committee, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.), represented by the NPC Convener, Bishop Mathew Kukah, acknowledged growing scepticism about politicians’ commitment to the Peace Accord.

“There is an increasing feeling that maybe what we are doing in the Peace Committee is just wasting our time, because people are saying the politicians who sign this accord have no intention of living by it,” he said.

Gen. Abubakar emphasised that compliance with the Peace Accord is a collective responsibility involving citizens and civil society organisations. He explained that the newly annotated accord aligns its provisions with relevant constitutional sections to strengthen its moral and legal authority.

Since its establishment in 2014, he said, the Peace Accord has served as a platform for dialogue, mediation, and confidence-building among political actors, with support from the European Union.

“INEC can only conduct free, fair, and credible elections depending on how we conduct ourselves. The responsibility of safeguarding our democracy rests with all of us,” he added.

Representing the police, the Commissioner of Police in charge of Election Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Mr. Abayomi Shogunle, said the Force has adopted a predictive analytics model to enhance election security planning. He explained that the model, tested during the Anambra governorship election and Federal Capital Territory polls, analyses past election data to anticipate potential flashpoints.

He also called for urgent measures to curb misinformation, fake news, and disinformation during elections, reiterating the police’s commitment to collaborating with INEC, political parties, civil society, and other security agencies.

The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council, Mr. Yusuf Dantalle, described the last general elections as largely credible, but raised concerns about provisions in the Electoral Act 2023.

He argued that aspects of the law narrowed political participation and disadvantaged smaller parties, particularly in relation to mandatory direct primaries and the financial burden of compliance requirements. He also called for greater independence in the appointment and funding of INEC leadership to insulate the commission from political influence.

The Convener of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Mr. Yunusa Ya’u, warned of declining voter turnout and eroding public trust. He expressed disappointment that mandatory electronic transmission of results was not fully entrenched in the amended law, despite strong public demand.

Mr. Ya’u further cautioned against what he described as a drift towards a “choiceless democracy”, citing high-profile defections to the ruling party and a shrinking space for opposition politics.

Also speaking, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Mr. Samson Itodo, said compressed timelines introduced by the 2026 Electoral Act pose significant risks ahead of the 2027 general elections.

While acknowledging that some provisions of the Act are commendable, he warned that shortened funding timelines for INEC and high financial thresholds for party registration could undermine electoral integrity and inclusiveness. He also called for clearer guidelines on electronic transmission of results and urged political actors to treat election technology infrastructure as critical national assets.