Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, and human rights lawyer Ayo Obe have warned that Nigeria’s 2027 general elections could face serious credibility challenges if electoral rules are not strictly followed and practices that have undermined previous elections are allowed to continue.
The lawyers spoke on Thursday at the 25th Mike Okonkwo Annual Lecture in Lagos, where they placed particular emphasis on the responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, electoral officials, political actors and voters in ensuring that the next general elections meet the requirements of a credible democratic process.
The lecture, titled “Democracy at the Crossroads: Electoral Credibility, Judicial Integrity and the Future of Nigeria,” examined the condition of Nigeria’s democracy, the integrity of electoral institutions and the role of the judiciary in resolving disputes and protecting democratic principles.
Falana, who chaired the event, expressed concern over what he described as threats directed at political opponents in different parts of the country. He questioned the continued use of inflammatory language by politicians and warned that political disagreements should not be allowed to develop into intimidation or threats against opponents.
He said civil society organisations were prepared to pursue legal action against individuals who issue threats against political opponents, stressing the need for citizens to be able to participate in politics without fear.
According to Falana, the 2027 elections would represent an important test for the country’s democratic development. However, he said there were already indications that raised questions about whether the next polls would meet the standard of being free and fair.
“Democracy is said to be at a crossroads because the 2027 general elections will provide a real opportunity when a crucial decision is required to be made in the life of the nation.
“Many of us are not very confident that the next election will be free and fair. It is indisputable that elections have become the foundation of democracy. Therefore, it is the right of citizens to participate freely and peacefully in the democratic process without fear, intimidation or threat,” he said.
The senior lawyer also criticised the increasing dependence on election tribunals and courts to settle disputes arising from electoral contests. He noted that many election petitions had failed either because of technical grounds or because petitioners were unable to establish the cases they brought before the courts.
For Falana, the credibility of elections should not depend primarily on lengthy legal battles after voters have cast their ballots. He argued that electoral institutions and participants must ensure that the process itself is conducted properly, thereby reducing the need for disputed results to be settled through litigation.
Falana Raises Concern Over Rising Vote Buying
A major part of Falana’s concerns centred on vote buying, which he described as an increasingly expensive feature of recent elections.
He pointed to recent off-cycle elections as evidence of the growing financial influence being brought to bear on voters, expressing concern about what the practice could mean for the 2027 general elections, when voting will take place across the country.
Falana specifically referred to the recently concluded Osun State governorship election, alleging that enormous sums of money were spent to induce voters.
“In the recently concluded election in Osun State, none of us can say that the election was good enough to produce a candidate that the people of Osun wanted. It was a very expensive adventure.
“Somebody said about N50 billion was spent to bribe voters. Another said N110 billion was spent to bribe voters. Another said it was around N43 billion. Billions of naira were spent bribing voters for their votes, in order to produce a governor,” he said.
The figures cited by Falana were presented as different claims about the alleged scale of vote buying during the election, rather than as a single established amount. His broader concern was that the increasing cost of inducing voters could become even more significant during a nationwide election.
He warned that the amounts reportedly offered to voters had increased across recent elections. According to him, figures had ranged from about N5,000 in Ekiti to between N20,000 and N50,000 in Osun.
Falana expressed concern that the financial inducements could rise further during the 2027 elections, potentially creating an even greater challenge to the integrity of the voting process.
His warning placed vote buying alongside intimidation and breaches of electoral rules as issues requiring urgent attention before the next general elections. He maintained that citizens should be able to make electoral choices freely rather than being influenced through financial inducements or threats.
Ayo Obe: Electoral Officials Must Follow Established Procedures
Also speaking at the lecture, Ayo Obe focused on the responsibilities of electoral officials, urging them to follow established procedures and allow their professional judgment to remain guided by the rules governing the electoral process.
Obe said electoral officers must be prepared to carry out their duties according to their conscience and the procedures established by INEC, warning that their decisions would ultimately be judged by posterity.
She cited the conduct of Prof Nnenna Nnannaya Oti, the Returning Officer for the 2023 Abia State governorship election, as an example of what she described as electoral integrity.
According to Obe, Oti resisted pressure to announce unverified figures from Obingwa Local Government Area during the 2023 election. Instead, she insisted that the figures be authenticated with information from the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, before the collation process could proceed.
Obe recalled Oti’s declaration at the time:
“I shall stand squarely on the processes and procedures of INEC. The pastor and the mother in me will not permit me to do anything that will adversely affect the future of our children. I will not compromise.”
For Obe, the decision demonstrated that individuals working within the electoral system could still protect due process even when confronted with pressure.
“She refused to announce unverified results. She insisted that BVAS data be used to authenticate figures from Obingwa LGA before collation resumed,” Obe said.
She argued that the example was important because public discussions about Nigeria’s elections sometimes focus heavily on technology while overlooking the importance of officials following the procedures already established for conducting elections.
“The part of her declaration on which I want to dwell is, ‘I shall stand squarely on the processes and procedures of INEC.’ This is important because many of us talk as though the whole system is faulty, and that without the famous ‘electronic transmission of results’, an election in Nigeria is automatically suspect and must be rejected,” she said.
Obe therefore urged electoral stakeholders to take their responsibilities seriously, stressing that compliance with established rules remains central to public confidence in the outcome of elections.
Her position placed emphasis on the conduct of individuals within electoral institutions, suggesting that the credibility of an election depends not only on the existence of rules but also on whether officials consistently apply them.
Mike Okonkwo Marks 25th Annual Lecture
The event also marked the 25th edition of the annual lecture founded by Bishop Mike Okonkwo, the founder of The Redeemed Evangelical Mission, TREM.
In his remarks, Okonkwo reflected on his longstanding relationship with Falana, recalling that the senior lawyer had handled cases for him during the early years of his ministry.
He used the occasion to urge Nigerians to recognise their responsibility in contributing to positive change in the country, rather than leaving the task of national development entirely to political leaders and institutions.
Okonkwo also commended Obe for her presentation and expressed gratitude to God for allowing him to witness another birthday and the 25th edition of the annual lecture.
The discussions at the event ultimately returned attention to the responsibilities of the institutions and individuals involved in Nigeria’s electoral process. Falana stressed the need to protect voters from intimidation, confront vote buying and address threats against political opponents, while Obe highlighted the importance of electoral officials adhering strictly to established procedures.
With the 2027 general elections expected to serve as another major test of Nigeria’s democratic institutions, both speakers urged stakeholders to focus on the integrity of the process itself. Their warnings centred on the principle that credible elections require voters to participate freely, electoral officials to follow the rules and political actors to respect democratic procedures.
2027 Elections: Falana, Ayo Obe Warn Against Vote Buying, Intimidation and Electoral Rule Breaches
