A former governor of Rivers State and chieftain of the opposition coalition, African Democratic Congress, Rotimi Amaechi, has urged Nigerians to prepare to vote massively in 2027 to ensure that President Bola Tinubu is defeated.

According to Amaechi, who in August declared his interest to contest for President in 2027, the fact that Tinubu was defeated in Lagos State in 2023 showed that he is not invincible.

Amaechi, alongside a former governor of Bayelsa State, Seriake Dickson, spoke at the fifth anniversary lecture of First Daily newspaper held in Abuja on Monday.

The theme of the event was ?2027: How can we make our votes count??

In his goodwill message, Amaechi cautioned that voter apathy and complacency allow electoral malpractice to thrive, saying Nigerians must participate in the next elections to prevent President Tinubu from getting second term.

He said, ?The first solution to electoral reform is not the government. The people are the problem. The more you say they have written the results, the more you have voter apathy. Voter apathy will make President Bola Tinubu return to Villa.?

Amaechi urged citizens to take control of the process, saying, ?Tell the people the power is in your hands. Come out. If Tinubu is that invincible, how was he defeated in Lagos?

It can be repeated but first and foremost you must agree that the man there is not invincible. The problem is the opposition.?

He added that it is unrealistic to expect a government in power to undertake an electoral reform.

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

Amaechi alleged that vested interests within the political class often frustrate reform efforts.

The former Minister of Transportation also blamed opposition parties for not developing viable strategies, noting that internal division and lack of focus weaken their ability to challenge the ruling elite.

?I tell the opposition parties that you?re the problem. The opposition party is not discussing how to save Nigeria. Nobody is saying oh things are bad, how do we change the candidate,? he said.

Earlier, Dickson, who chaired the event, condemned what he described as the subversion of the people?s sovereignty through rigged elections, calling it ?the worst coup? against democracy. ?We have a long way to go as far as protecting the sovereignty that our constitution says belongs to the people because the only time Nigerians express that sovereignty that the constitution rightly says is theirs is during elections.

?Rigging of elections is the worst coup you can plan,? the ex-governor explained.

Speaking further, the senator representing Bayelsa West condemned the manipulation of election results by politicians and government officials.

He said, ?A worst form of violation of the sovereignty of the people is when politicians, governments, security agencies and the electoral umpire itself colludes and then cook election results that have no reference whatsoever to the people.

?In other words, the people don?t even vote but votes are written and ascribed to them and then people say go to court now.

?As far as I?m concerned, anyone who has planned that, anyone who has carried that out, those are the real coup plotters because that is a coup against democracy, against the country, in the sovereignty of the people.?

The former Bayelsa governor said he witnessed electoral manipulation during his time in office.

?I was governor in an opposition and fought a lot of battles to keep my state in opposition and I saw all of this. What the average Nigerian politician who calls election planning, my dear friends and fellow Nigerians, if we?re honest, it?s conspiracy to commit crimes,? he said.

He urged the National Assembly to strengthen electoral laws to prevent result falsification and preserve the people?s will.

The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Dr. Sam Amadi , delivered a criticism of the nation?s electoral system during his keynote address, condemning what he described as a growing entanglement between election management and political power.

Amadi argued that the current situation had produced a political environment in which ?everyone who has something to do with the management of electoral election is connected to the President.?

He lamented that the long-standing practice of appointing neutral and independent election officials has effectively been abandoned.

?Our elections are always rigged in one form or another,? he said, pointing to systemic drivers, such as high campaign costs, the enormous rewards of office and a political economy that turns elections into ?warfare?.

That combination, he said, deepens civic cynicism and depresses turnout, even when citizens see the stakes are national survival.

?Free and fair election is the only way a divided, poor society can have peaceful transition,? the director said.

The speaker ended with a practical call to action, urging focused civic pressure on institutions and actors who can change outcomes.

He singled out INEC for reform.

?INEC must be opened to scrutiny,? he said, blaming both political parties and complicit lawyers and judges for enabling rigging.

The publisher of First Daily, Daniel Markson, in his welcome remarks, lamented Nigeria?s negative global reputation, stating, ?There is a leadership issue in this country. I know there are leaders here. I am not particularly pointing fingers at any of you, but let?s tell ourselves the honest truth: we have failed. We have failed.

?I am 55 years old. I can?t remember any time Nigeria worked for me, as sad as it is. Yes, I can?t remember any time Nigeria worked for me and I doubt whether I would live to see that day when Nigeria will work for me.?

Markson attributed the country?s leadership crisis to flawed elections.

He announced that First Daily would embark on a nationwide voter sensitization campaign next year.

Nigeria?s struggle to achieve credible elections has been a recurring challenge since the return to civilian rule in 1999.

Despite a series of reforms, including the introduction of the Smart Card Reader in 2015 and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System in 2023, allegations of vote-buying, intimidation, and result manipulation have persisted.

The 2023 general elections, which brought President Bola Tinubu to power, were marred by technical glitches, logistical failures, and accusations of bias against the Independent National Electoral Commission.

These controversies have eroded public trust, with many Nigerians questioning whether their votes truly count?an issue that continues to define political discourse ahead of the 2027 polls.

The event brought together political figures, diplomats, and media executives who discussed the future of Nigeria?s democracy and the urgent need to restore integrity to the nation?s electoral system. (PUNCH)

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