A two-day national conference will be held in Abuja next week to promote the sanctity of the vote and inspire credibility in the electoral process.
The conveners of the summit have invited the former vice president and presidential candidate of the People's Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar; the national president of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje; former presidential candidate of the New Nigeria People's Party (NNPP), the Attorney General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi (SAN); and others as speakers and commentators. The conference will take place on Monday and Tuesday of next week.
The former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), will declare the conference open. By the way, the National Committee for Peace, which he chairs, is one of the organizers of the event.
Addressing journalists on Thursday in Abuja, Dr Otive Igbuzor, Founding Executive Director of the African Center for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD) and one of the five collaborating organisations, revealed that the objective of the conference is “initiate a debate aimed at addressing the pressing challenges that threaten the very foundations of democracy in our country. As conveners, we are committed to addressing the complexities and setbacks currently facing Nigeria’s democratic system, with the aim of finding viable solutions to restore and strengthen our national governance.”
He continued: “The purpose of the conference lies in a vision of a democracy that is genuine, resilient and inclusive. As many of us know, Nigeria’s democratic path, although spanning 25 years of uninterrupted civilian rule, is riddled with structural and functional flaws.”
According to the spokesperson for the conveners, these defects include poor electoral practices, ineffective political parties, weakened governance structures, widespread corruption and a worrying erosion of public trust.
He added: “The objective of the conference, therefore, is to rekindle hope, rebuild trust and chart a roadmap towards a strengthened democratic system that serves all Nigerians with integrity and accountability.”
“First, we recognize the urgent need for democratic reforms. At the heart of our democratic challenges is the pressing need for a political environment free of manipulation, imposition and exclusion. For too long, Nigeria’s political landscape has been dominated by elite cliques, leaving citizens feeling alienated from the governance processes that directly impact their lives.”
“Our goal through the conference is to initiate reform efforts that will strengthen our electoral process and ensure our leadership selection process is credible.”
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“Secondly, we seek to mobilize and strengthen our political parties. Political parties are the foundation of any democracy, but in Nigeria they often fall short of the ideals of transparency, accountability and responsiveness. The objective of the conference includes encouraging the development of political parties that are truly representative, open to internal democracy and accountable to the people. In addressing these issues, we envision political parties that champion the voice and needs of Nigerians and provide viable leadership and governance options.”
“Another key reason why we organized the conference is the need to mobilize citizens for democratic resilience. Democracy is only as strong as the citizens who defend it. As conveners, we believe that engaging Nigerians at all levels, from grassroots communities to influential stakeholders, is critical to creating a resilient democracy. The conference therefore offers an avenue to rekindle civic engagement, encouraging Nigerians to actively participate in the democratic process and hold leaders accountable at all levels. Through such mobilization, we aim to foster a culture of informed citizenship with the power to shape and safeguard our democracy.”
The conveners also revealed that, in addition to prominent figures from the predominant political parties, the electoral referee, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), would also be invited. They noted that “INEC is key to the debate on how to revive confidence in the electoral process.”
Dr. Igbuzor, who expressed hope that the participants would genuinely address the needs of Nigerians, further emphasized: “The outcomes of the conference will provide a solid foundation on which we can rebuild trust in our institutions, increase transparency and establish a standard of integrity for future governance.”