Two former governors of Bayelsa and Rivers States, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson and Rotimi Amaechi, have expressed concern over Nigeria?s electoral integrity, warning that persistent vote manipulation and growing voter apathy pose serious threats to the country?s democracy.

The duo spoke on Monday at the fifth anniversary lecture of First Daily newspaper, held in Abuja, with the theme ?2027: How Can We Make Our Votes Count??

In his remarks as chairman of the event, Senator Dickson described electoral fraud as a ?coup against the people?s sovereignty,? condemning the subversion of popular will through rigged elections.

?We have a long way to go in protecting the sovereignty that the constitution says belongs to the people. Rigging of elections is the worst coup you can plan,? he said.

The senator representing Bayelsa West lamented the collusion between politicians, security agencies, and electoral officials to falsify results, saying such actions violate citizens? rights to freely choose their leaders.

?When politicians and electoral umpires fabricate results that bear no relation to the votes cast, that?s a coup against democracy,? he said.

Dickson, who recalled facing electoral manipulation while serving as an opposition governor, urged the National Assembly to strengthen electoral laws to safeguard the people?s will.

Former Rivers State Governor and ex-Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, also took a swipe at the political class, declaring that no sitting government is capable of delivering genuine electoral reform.

?The problem with elections in Nigeria is that no incumbent government can achieve electoral reform ? none. We tried it and failed,? he said.

He accused politicians of frustrating reform efforts for personal gain and faulted opposition parties for lacking focus and unity.

?The opposition is part of the problem. They are not discussing how to save Nigeria. Nobody is asking how to change things,? Amaechi said.

Amaechi also warned that widespread voter apathy enables rigging to persist.

?The first solution to electoral reform is not government ? it?s the people. The more you say the results are already written, the more people stay home. That apathy will make the incumbent stay in power,? he added.

Delivering the keynote address, the Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr. Sam Amadi, criticised the close ties between political power and election management, warning that Nigeria?s democracy is being hollowed out by systemic corruption.

?Our elections are rigged in one form or another. Everyone connected to managing elections is linked to the president,? he said, lamenting the erosion of neutrality in the appointment of electoral officials.

Quoting development economist Paul Collier, Amadi said, ?When elections are criminalised, only criminals can win,? adding that high campaign costs and the lucrative rewards of public office have turned Nigerian elections into ?warfare.?

He called for civic mobilisation and institutional reform, insisting that ?INEC must be opened to scrutiny.?

Earlier in his welcome address, the Publisher of First Daily, Daniel Markson, lamented Nigeria?s leadership crisis, blaming it on decades of flawed elections.

?There is a leadership issue in this country. Let?s tell ourselves the truth: we have failed. I am 55 years old, and I can?t remember a time Nigeria truly worked for me,? he said.

Markson announced that the newspaper will embark on a nationwide voter sensitisation campaign next year to encourage citizens? participation ahead of the 2027 polls.

Since the return to democracy in 1999, Nigeria has struggled to conduct elections free of vote-buying, intimidation, and manipulation. Despite technological interventions such as the Smart Card Reader (2015) and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (2023), the 2023 general elections ? which brought President Bola Tinubu to power ? were marred by logistical failures and accusations of bias against the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The Abuja event drew political leaders, diplomats, and media executives, who collectively called for urgent reforms to restore public trust in Nigeria?s electoral process.

? PHOTO, From Left: Former NIMASA Boss, Dakuku Peterside, Publisher First Daily, Daniel Iworiso-Markson, former Governor of Rivers State, Rotimi Amaechi, Chairman of PANDEF, Amb Godknows Igali, and former Bayelsa Gov, and Senator representing Bayelsa West, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson at the First Daily 5th Annual Public Lecture in Abuja on Monday.

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