Civic Group Faults Party Primaries, Warns Of 2027 Rigging
Thirty-three years after Nigerians voted in the historic June 12, 1993 presidential election, a civic group has warned that the very governance failures that vote sought to address remain unresolved and are deepening, even as the country marks another Democracy Day under the shadow of mass school abductions and a biting cost of living crisis.
The Grassroots Center for Rights & Civic Orientation, in a statement signed by its Executive Director, Armsfree Ajanaku, called on Friday for a whole of government, whole of society strategy to confront insecurity, economic hardship and threats to the electoral process.
GRACO recalled that the 1993 election, won by the late MKO Abiola on a platform of inclusive prosperity captured in his “Hope 93: Farewell to Poverty” manifesto, reflected a clear demand by Nigerians for democracy to anchor inclusive governance. The country on Friday marked the 33rd anniversary of June 12, 1993 and 27 years of uninterrupted civilian rule.
According to the group, “the same governance challenges, which the Nigerian people attempted to use the democratic process to address 33 years ago, are still present and are worsening in intensity.” It pointed to “frequent attacks on schools, highways and places of worship by terrorists, extremists and outlaws,” and a cost of living crisis “accentuated by hyperinflation and the astronomical rise in the prices of essential and basic commodities.”
The warning comes amid heightened anxiety over school safety. President Bola Tinubu, in his Democracy Day address, acknowledged that this year’s mood was dampened by the abduction of children in Oyo and Borno states, expressing hope for their safe return and stating that “democracy without security is not solid enough.”
GRACO also flagged the integrity of the leadership recruitment process, saying recent party primaries had shown that fidelity to “one man, one vote” had been “sacrificed on the altar of winning at all cost.” It said civil society watchdogs had identified “several questionable provisions” in the Electoral Act 2026 that could enable rigging in the 2027 polls.
The concerns echo wider disquiet over the law. President Tinubu signed the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 into law on February 18, 2026, replacing the 2022 Act. Former INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner Mike Igini has flagged three provisions he described as “dangerous,” including Section 63, which he said allows presiding officers to accept ballot papers without INEC’s official security features. The Inter-Party Advisory Council has threatened to boycott the 2027 elections if the anomalies are not addressed.
GRACO commended the National Assembly’s progress toward a constitutional amendment to create State Police, but urged the Federal Government to adopt “an emergency posture,” protect schools through “overt and covert measures,” and establish Security Crisis Response Centres in the worst affected states to liaise with families of abducted citizens.
On the economy, the group called for urgent relief, including a review of the minimum wage “to reflect current economic realities,” and support for youth, women and persons with disabilities. It further urged lawmakers to revisit the Electoral Act and repeal sections “inimical to the conduct of credible and democratic elections.”