“The Votes of the People May Not Count”: Onaiyekan Raises 2027 Election Fears
Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan, has expressed concern over the direction of Nigeria’s political climate ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He warned that the credibility of the electoral process could come under serious strain if urgent reforms are not undertaken.
The respected cleric made the remarks during an appearance on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Friday, where he spoke on the need to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy and restore public confidence in the country’s electoral system.
According to him, there are growing fears that the administration of President Bola Tinubu is determined to secure victory in the next general election by deploying every advantage available to it.
“We’re worried about the fact that President Tinubu administration is bent on winning the 2027 elections by all means.
“Unfortunately, they have a lot of means at their disposal and they’re deploying all those means in a way that eventually, even with a free and fair election the votes of the people may not count.”
Onaiyekan also questioned whether the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) enjoys the level of independence required to convince Nigerians that elections will be conducted without undue influence, despite repeated assurances by the President that the electoral body remains neutral.
He stressed that Nigeria cannot afford to overlook the need for credible electoral reforms, warning that failure to strengthen the system could have far-reaching consequences for the country’s democracy.
“But we gave a warning that if we do not rearrange our election system to make sure that elections are really free, fair, and credible, it can lead to difficulties.
“We also warned that the country doesn’t gain any anything by one-party state in a so-called democracy.”
While acknowledging that it is normal for any sitting president to seek another term in office, the cardinal maintained that incumbency should not place any candidate above the democratic principles of fairness and equal competition.
“Of course, we are not expecting Mr President to help the opposition to defeat him.
“But the point we are raising is that even though the president has all the powers of incumbency, he is in the election. He is a candidate like any other person.”
The former Archbishop urged political leaders, electoral authorities and other stakeholders to protect the sanctity of the ballot, insisting that the strength of any democracy lies in the confidence citizens have that their votes will determine the outcome of elections.
