The South-South Zonal Secretary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Clement Agiangie, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to draw lessons from the recently concluded Osun State governorship election and take urgent steps to guarantee credible, transparent and glitch-free elections in 2027.
Agiangie, in a statement from the Media Office of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, (NDC) South-South Zonal Secretariat on Tuesday, said there must be no room for electoral manipulation, rigging or avoidable technical failures capable of undermining the will of Nigerian voters.
He said the future of Nigeria’s democracy would depend largely on the preparedness, independence and professionalism of INEC before, during and after the 2027 General Elections.
According to him, the Osun governorship election provided important lessons that should guide the electoral commission in strengthening Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of the next general elections.
While acknowledging improvements recorded during the Osun poll compared with previous electoral exercises, particularly the widely criticised 2023 elections, Agiangie cautioned INEC against complacency.
“The 2027 General Elections must be free, fair, transparent and credible. There must be no room for rigging, manipulation or any avoidable glitch capable of undermining the genuine will of the electorate,” he stated.
The NDC chieftain called for a comprehensive post-election assessment of the Osun exercise to identify areas of improvement and challenges requiring urgent attention.
He said such a review would enable INEC to consolidate gains recorded in Osun while correcting weaknesses before Nigerians return to the polls in 2027.
“We acknowledge the areas where improvements have been recorded because the Osun election was, to a large extent, better than what Nigerians experienced in previous elections. However, an election can only be regarded as successful when every legitimate vote counts and the final outcome reflects the true choice of the people,” he said.
Agiangie said Nigerians were increasingly aware of their constitutional rights and would not accept attempts to undermine their votes through electoral malpractice, administrative failures or technological shortcomings.
He therefore urged INEC to strengthen electoral technology, voter accreditation systems, personnel training, logistics coordination and result management processes.
He also called for greater transparency in the deployment and operation of electoral technologies, arguing that public confidence would increase when political parties, candidates, observers and voters could understand and verify the various stages of the electoral process.
“INEC must learn from every election. The Osun experience should not simply become another historical event; it must serve as a practical guide for identifying gaps, correcting weaknesses and building a stronger electoral system ahead of 2027,” Agiangie added.
He stressed that credible elections were a collective responsibility involving INEC, political parties, candidates, security agencies, election observers, the media and voters.
The NDC South-South secretary urged political parties and candidates to prioritise issue-based campaigns, respect electoral guidelines and promote peaceful democratic engagement.
He also called on security agencies to remain neutral and professional while protecting voters, electoral officials and democratic institutions from intimidation and partisan interference.
Agiangie urged voters to remain vigilant, participate peacefully in the democratic process and reject inducement, intimidation and other forms of electoral malpractice.
“The people own their votes, and their votes must determine who governs them. No individual, political party or institution should be allowed to take away that constitutional right,” he said.
He reaffirmed the NDC’s commitment to a democratic system in which the people’s mandate is respected, describing the 2027 General Elections as an opportunity to achieve a major milestone in Nigeria’s democratic development.
Agiangie consequently urged INEC to commence early preparations, deepen stakeholder engagement, conduct a thorough review of the Osun election and implement necessary reforms well ahead of the 2027 polls.
He expressed optimism that Nigerians were looking forward to an electoral process in which every vote would count, every voter would be protected and every legitimate mandate would be respected.
