Former Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, and the former Chairman of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Mazi Afam Osigwe, on Thursday, called for a far-reaching overhaul of Nigeria’s electoral system, warning that the quality of the country’s elections appeared to be declining rather than improving
Onaiyekan, who delivered the keynote address at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) in Enugu, also proposed a minimum 50 per cent threshold for presidential elections, independent appointment of electoral commissioners, special tribunals for election disputes and the introduction of independent candidacy, among other reforms
He said Nigeria could conduct credible elections even with the existing electoral framework if political actors and institutions sincerely obeyed the rules, but argued that the country needed a fundamentally improved system ahead of future elections
The conference, organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), is themed “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive”
Onaiyekan, who described himself as an 82-year-old Nigerian who had witnessed the country’s political journey over several decades, said elections were meant to enable citizens to choose their leaders and assess their performance
The cleric also questioned the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), noting that the government in power both appoints the electoral body and participates in elections as a contestant
He proposed that the method of appointing the INEC chairman and commissioners should be reviewed so that they would not depend on the President or state governors who are themselves political contestants
He similarly criticised the use of state resources for partisan political activities and the heavy deployment of security personnel during elections, saying the practice could intimidate voters
Onaiyekan also raised concerns about the increasing role of the judiciary in determining electoral outcomes He argued that courts should adjudicate disputes rather than effectively determine who won elections.
He proposed special election tribunals with strict timelines to dispose of all election cases before the swearing-in of candidates He further advocated giving ordinary voters the legal right to challenge election results where they believed their votes had not been properly counted.
The Cardinal also called for independent candidates, particularly at the local government level, arguing that communities should be able to elect respected individuals without forcing them to secure sponsorship from political parties
For presidential elections, he proposed that a candidate should obtain at least 50 per cent of votes cast to be declared winner, with a run-off between the two leading candidates where no one achieves the threshold
Nigeria among countries with highest electoral disputes
Onaiyekan’s position on electoral disputes was echoed by former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN, who said Nigeria had one of the highest numbers of electoral disputes globally
Speaking on “Election Petition in a Digital Age: Independence, Evidence, BVAS and the Court,” Osigwe attributed the problem to what he called failure of leadership at the federal, state and local government levels
He said the increasing involvement of courts in electoral matters had resulted in the “judicialisation” of the electoral process, partly because of difficulties in proving electoral malpractice and non-compliance with electoral laws
Osigwe said the credibility of elections depended on the independence of electoral institutions, the quality of evidence presented before tribunals and the ability of courts to resolve disputes consistently and within a reasonable time
He also raised concerns about the handling of electronic evidence generated through the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), saying technological innovations intended to strengthen elections had sometimes been undermined by legal and procedural difficulties
He urged journalists to continue holding political leaders and institutions accountable, warning that an electoral process lacking credibility would undermine the legitimacy of those who emerged from it
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, represented by the Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria, Ali M Ali, focused on another emerging threat to electoral credibility — artificial intelligence-driven misinformation.
Idris warned that AI could be used to produce convincing fake photographs, videos, audio recordings and documents capable of misleading voters and eroding public confidence in genuine information
He said a false statement could be produced in the voice of a public official, while fabricated videos could be circulated within minutes and old photographs presented as current events
With the 2027 elections approaching, the minister urged news organisations to make verification a permanent newsroom culture rather than an exercise undertaken only after publication
He advised journalists to establish who made a claim, the evidence supporting it, when a photograph was taken, whether a video was original and whether its source had been independently verified
He also urged editors to ensure that headlines were supported by the stories beneath them and to distinguish clearly between facts, allegations and opinions
Media performs duty democracy can do without – Shettima
Vice President Kashim Shettima has declared that the media has earned its place as the fourth estate of the realm because it performs a duty that no democracy can do without
In a video message he sent to the 2026 All Nigeria Editors Conference, the vice president told the editors that Nigeria’s democratic journey owes much to journalists and editors who, sometimes at considerable personal cost, insisted that the public deserved to know
He said the theme speaks directly to one of the defining challenges of the time: “When technology can manufacture convincing falsehoods at unprecedented speed, professional journalism becomes more important, not less
“The editor remains a crucial gatekeeper between information and manipulation As you scrutinise the government, I also urge you to continue telling the full story of our country, including where progress is being made,” Shettima said.
He said the government and the media will not always agree, “nor should we Democracy is strengthened when disagreement is informed by facts, exercised responsibly and conducted in good faith. What must unite us is the greater Nigerian project.”
Journalists key to sustaining democracy
Earlier, the Obi of Onitsha and chairman of the conference, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, warned editors that democracy did not sustain itself once established
Achebe likened democracy to a fire that must constantly be tended, saying the ballot represented the citizen’s voice while the media served as the mirror through which citizens saw the world and made informed choices
He charged editors to prioritise verification over speed, improve their understanding of AI-generated disinformation and have the courage to debunk falsehoods regardless of which political camp benefited from them
He said the media must remain “the ultimate last man standing” in defending democracy where politicians, electoral bodies and other institutions fail
Governors of Enugu State, Peter Mbah and his counterpart from Jigawa State, Umar Namadi, who attended the opening section of the event, tasked editors on sustaining Democracy