NewzBy Chinedu Adonu ENUGU — Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has called for sweeping electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections, including a new process for appointing the chairman and commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to guarantee greater independence from the executive. Onaiyekan made the call on Thursday while delivering the keynote address at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference, ANEC 2026, organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Enugu. The conference, which brings together more than 500 editors and other stakeholders, is themed, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” with a sub-theme focused on detecting and debunking artificial intelligence-driven disinformation before, during and after elections.
The Cardinal said Nigeria needed to work towards a democracy that respected the wishes of citizens and ensured that government served the common good. He said although democracy was the preferred form of government in contemporary times, its success depended on adherence to its rules, checks and balances. According to him, “the ultimate objective is to install a government that is freely chosen by the people and that works for the common good of the people.” Onaiyekan, who described himself as an 82-year-old Nigerian who had witnessed the country’s “hopes of greatness” repeatedly elude it, said he was speaking at the conference both as a citizen and religious leader.
Seven-point reform agenda The Cardinal proposed seven areas of reform for consideration by the National Assembly to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral system. He said the process for appointing the INEC chairman and commissioners should be reviewed because the electoral body should not be dependent on the President or state governors, who are themselves contestants or politically involved in elections. He also called for a special election tribunal dedicated exclusively to electoral disputes, with a strict timeframe for concluding cases.
Onaiyekan proposed that the burden of proving the validity of an election should, in appropriate cases, be placed on INEC where its conduct is challenged. He further called for citizens who cast votes to be given legal standing to challenge election results, arguing that voters should not be excluded from the judicial process where they believe their votes were not p… Onaiyekan spoke on Thursday as keynote speaker at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC 2026), organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in Enugu.
The conference, holding September 24 and 25, is themed, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” with a sub-theme, “When Lies Look Real: Detecting and Debunking AI Disinformation Before, During and After Election.” Onaiyekan said Nigeria’s democracy would remain fragile unless elections reflected the genuine wishes of citizens. He said democracy remained attractive as a system of government but was difficult to achieve in practice, stressing that Nigeria should not accept poor democratic practices as inevitable. According to him, the ultimate objective should be “a government that is freely chosen by the people and that works for the common good of the people.” The Cardinal said elections in Nigeria had become increasingly problematic because politicians often approached them as “do-or-die” contests for power, wealth and influence, while ordinary citizens were reduced to pawns.
He also raised concerns about the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that the commission faced a structural challenge because it was established and funded by government while those in government were often contestants in elections. He said the situation made it difficult for INEC to operate with the level of independence and transparency expected of an electoral umpire. Onaiyekan also criticised the use of government resources for partisan political activities, saying incumbents at the federal and state levels had struggled to provide a level playing field for political opponents.
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