Ahead of the 2027 general elections, Catholic Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, and the Council of the Wise, led by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission and political actors to ensure that Nigerians are allowed to freely elect their leaders through a credible electoral process.
The call was made in Abuja on Monday when Onaiyekan received a delegation from the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development and members of the Ariwoola-led Council of the Wise.
The stakeholders stressed the importance of adherence to electoral laws, political party rules and established guidelines as preparations intensify for the 2027 elections.
Onaiyekan urged INEC and political stakeholders to play their respective roles responsibly, arguing that the credibility of an election depends largely on whether citizens are genuinely able to exercise their right to choose their leaders.
He said political contestants and electoral institutions must respect the rules governing the process rather than treating elections as a struggle in which victory must be secured at all costs.
“There’s not much one can do, but all we can do is to remind people about the basic principles of a free, fair, and credible election,” Onaiyekan said.
He said the appeal applied not only to political candidates and parties but also to INEC and government institutions involved in the electoral process.
“And the umpire, that is INEC. When I say the political actors, I include the government, because the government has a party that is also in the race. All of them, if they will follow the rules that we have made for ourselves, things will work well,” he said.
The Cardinal also urged security agencies to maintain professionalism before, during and after the elections, warning against conduct that could heighten tension or create an atmosphere of conflict around the polls.
According to him, elections should not become occasions for the deployment of force in ways that intimidate citizens or make communities feel as though they are in a war zone.
His position comes amid his broader concerns about the quality of Nigeria’s elections since the return to democratic rule in 1999. At the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu last week, Onaiyekan said the country had not made sufficient progress in improving the electoral process and expressed concern that electoral disputes increasingly ended up being determined through litigation rather than at polling stations.
Onaiyekan has also argued that the judiciary should primarily adjudicate electoral disputes rather than effectively determine who wins elections. He has proposed several electoral reforms, including changes to the process for appointing INEC leadership, specialised electoral tribunals and measures to ensure that major election cases are concluded before elected officials assume office.
However, for the 2027 election, he emphasised the need for stakeholders to work within the existing legal framework and ensure that the rules are implemented fairly.
He said Nigerians should not be denied the opportunity to exercise their democratic choice simply because political actors have disagreements over electoral outcomes.
“You don’t need AI to have a free and fair election. We have rules that are practical. Let them do that,” Onaiyekan said.
He further stressed the importance of remembering that elections provide citizens with an opportunity to determine who governs them.
“Let Nigerians, for once, there are only once in four years. We forget that, after four years, we would have another chance for us as individuals to talk and make our decision about who rules us. They should allow us to enjoy that right to choose who we want to rule us.”
The Cardinal also referred to the work of the National Peace Committee, noting that the body had made efforts to promote peaceful elections, including encouraging political actors to sign agreements committing themselves to responsible conduct.
He, however, expressed concern that some political actors had failed to fully honour such commitments in previous electoral cycles.
Despite those concerns, he said he remained hopeful that the 2027 elections could provide an opportunity for improvement if political leaders, electoral institutions, security agencies and other stakeholders adhered to their responsibilities.
The Council of the Wise, led by Ariwoola, similarly appealed to Onaiyekan to intensify his engagement with political leaders and candidates ahead of the elections.
Ariwoola said the Council’s visit was partly to appreciate Onaiyekan for what it described as his fatherly role in national affairs and to seek his continued intervention in promoting peaceful and credible elections.
“Your Eminence, the main purpose of the Council’s visit to you, is to appreciate the fatherly role you have been playing in Nigeria and to request you to double the efforts in appealing to the Nigerian politicians to always listen to their own wise counsel during the upcoming political campaigns in order to have peaceful, free, fair and successful 2027 elections,” Ariwoola said.
The former Chief Justice urged political parties and candidates to conduct their campaigns without hate speech, inflammatory rhetoric or statements capable of provoking violence.
He also called on political parties to comply with their respective constitutions and codes of conduct, as well as electoral guidelines issued by INEC.
“It is also important for His Eminence to call on all candidates to ensure that the political campaigns are devoid of rancour, hate speech, inflammatory and unguided utterances capable of instigating violence,” Ariwoola said.
According to him, Nigeria needs elections that are peaceful, transparent and credible, adding that political leaders seeking the mandate to govern the country should demonstrate responsible conduct throughout the electoral process.
He also urged candidates to encourage their supporters to comply with electoral laws rather than engaging in actions that could undermine public confidence in the elections.
“The Council will be very grateful if His Eminence would join it in appealing to leaderships of political parties in Nigeria to always abide by the Codes of Conduct and Constitutions of their respective parties so that they could earn the trust and respect of the electorate,” he said.
Ariwoola further stressed that candidates should recognise that seeking political office carries responsibilities beyond winning elections.
He said aspirants should demonstrate exemplary conduct and encourage members of their parties and supporters to respect electoral laws and INEC guidelines.
The Council of the Wise comprises prominent Nigerians drawn from Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones. Its activities include engaging stakeholders on issues of national interest, promoting national unity and contributing to democratic governance.
The intervention comes as political parties and electoral institutions prepare for the 2027 general elections. INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan has separately reiterated the commission’s neutrality, saying the electoral body has no candidate or political party to favour.
For Onaiyekan and the Council of the Wise, the central issue remains the protection of citizens’ democratic right to determine their leaders through the ballot.
Their appeal places responsibility on political parties and candidates to respect the rules, on INEC to administer the process impartially and on security agencies to protect voters and maintain order without compromising citizens’ rights.
As the 2027 electoral cycle progresses, the credibility of the process will therefore depend not only on the conduct of voters on election day but also on the actions of political actors, electoral officials, security agencies and other institutions before, during and after the polls.
