COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF A TWO-DAY NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA ORGANISED BY AFRICAN CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP STRATEGY ABD DEVELOPMENT (CENTERLSD) CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT (CDD).WESTMINISTER FOUNDATION FOR DEMOCRACY (WFD) PEERING ADVOCACY AND ADVANCEMENT CENTRE IN AFRICA ( PAACA) AND NATIONAL PEACE COMMITTEE HELD AT ABUJA CONTINENTAL HOTEL FROM JANUARY 27– 28, 2025


COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE END OF A TWO-DAY NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON STRENGTHENING DEMOCRACY IN NIGERIA ORGANISED BY AFRICAN CENTER FOR LEADERSHIP STRATEGY ABD DEVELOPMENT (CENTERLSD) CENTER FOR DEMOCRACY AND DEVELOPMENT (CDD).WESTMINISTER FOUNDATION FOR DEMOCRACY (WFD) PEERING ADVOCACY AND ADVANCEMENT CENTRE IN AFRICA ( PAACA) AND NATIONAL PEACE COMMITTEE HELD AT ABUJA CONTINENTAL HOTEL FROM JANUARY 27– 28, 2025
BACKGROUND:
Nigeria’s democracy, once a beacon of hope on the African continent, faces an unprecedented crisis that threatens its survival and undermines its potential for growth and development. Over the past 25 years, the country has maintained uninterrupted democratic governance, holding seven general elections. However, this continuity has not translated into the deepening of democratic values or institutions. Instead, systemic issues such as electoral malpractice, political party inefficiencies, weak governance structures, and endemic corruption have eroded public trust in the democratic process. In response to this pressing crisis, the African Center for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Center LSD) and its partners initiated the Strengthening Nigerian Democracy Project. This nationwide campaign seeks to fortify democratic foundations, foster citizens’ engagement, and create pathways for credible and inclusive leadership.
In pursuit of the above, a National Conference themed “Strengthening Democracy in Nigeria: Pathways to Good Governance and Political Integrity” was held from January 27 – 28, 2025, at the Abuja Continental Hotel, Abuja. The conference convened serving and former members of the executive, legislature, and judiciary, notable private sector players, as well as representatives from Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), the media, academics and other key stakeholders.
Key Issues Identified and deliberated
There is a growing threat to democracy as a system of government in Africa – between 2020-2023 there were 8 coup de ’tats just as a number of supposed democratic leaders made efforts to change their constitution to extend their tenure.
In about 60 elections held across the globe, including countries like South Africa, U.K., USA, Japan, India, Botswana, and Senegal, 80% of the incumbents lost.
The 2023 Open Society Barometer shockingly revealed that 30% of young people in Nigeria said army rule was good for citizens lending credence to the some disturbing experience in some neighboring countries in ECOWAS
Past and recent events have proven that most African politicians seek power for personal interest rather than the national good, hence the current democratic experience.
Gradually, state institutions have over time been weakened by the overbearing tendencies of those who occupy the executive arm of government.
There is a growing incident of state and elite capture in our political system with the tendency to slip into a one-party state
There are concerns on the trend of electoral outcomes with respect to the role of the judiciary where the courts have become the decisive agents in selecting leaders rather than the ballots.
In spite of the series of reforms put in place to sanitise the electoral system, there appears to be an insidious metamorphosis into the current practice of vote buying observed in the polity.
The roles of political parties have over-time been eroded due to its capture by barons and warlords, resulting in a lack of internal democracy and discipline.
There is an obvious dearth of opposition voices and silence in the civic space.
Centralization of our elections management system impacts negatively on the efficiency and effectiveness of INEC.
Democracy in our climate is gradually disintegrating into plutocracy. Hence, citizens need to be sensitized on their rights and value of votes.
There seems to be a clandestine by politicians in power to fix their cronies into INEC in readiness for the next election
The vibrancy for which the civil society sector is known appears to be waning as some of them no longer speak truth to power.

The Way Forward
Participants identified the following as what should be done to address the concerns raised and strengthen democracy in Nigeria

What the Executive Should Do:
The Executive should prioritise the development and implementation of policies aimed at reducing social inequalities and alleviating poverty to curb the alarming trend of “meal over vote,”.
The Uwais Report, which emphasized long-term strategies that prioritise sustainable electoral reforms to benefit future generations rather than short-term solutions, should be revisited.
The Executive should further entrench the judgment on LG democratic autonomy by ensuring judicial interpretation for the independence of the State Electoral Commission.
Police reforms should be prioritised at both the national and sub-national levels because a viable Police Force is crucial to a strengthened democracy.
The issue of state policing is inevitable considering the growing population and risks in the country.
The Correctional Service should be placed under the Justice Ministry for effective management rather than remaining in the Ministry of Interior.

What the Judiciary Should Do:
The judiciary should pursue reforms to attain autonomy to address issues like judges’ welfare, condition of service, and recognition of magistrates to mention but a few.
Legal officers should be reorientated to seek public interest rather than commercial interest. This will positively impact the decongestion of custodian facilities.

What the Legislature Should Do:
The legislature is encouraged to actively fulfill its oversight, lawmaking, and representation responsibilities, as a functional legislature is essential for a thriving democracy.

The proposals before the National Assembly seeking to reform the electoral process should be prioritised by the 10th Assembly. This should include other structural reforms of the electoral system, including the “winner-takes-all” system.

Considering the limited timeframe to the next general elections, the National Assembly should prioritise the review of the Electoral Act.

The legislature should fulfill its responsibility of thoroughly scrutinizing the process of appointing individuals to hold sensitive positions in INEC to minimize the tendency of the ruling party to plant its cronies in the electoral body

The inclusivity of the electoral process should be reviewed to allow for the inclusion of diaspora voting, enabling Nigerians living abroad to participate in national elections. This would ensure that all citizens, regardless of their location, have a voice in shaping the future of the country and strengthen the democratic process by fostering a more inclusive and representative electoral system.

What Civil Society & Media Should Do
Civil society and media should actively engage in citizens’ sensitization programmes to educate them about their rights, responsibilities, and effective ways to hold duty bearers accountable.

There should be advocacy for the reduction of the incumbent’s power to appoint individuals into sensitive positions and control procurement processes.

Civil society should advocate for an end to the culture of using state resources to fund the ruling party as this trend is dangerous to widening the democratic space.

They should support the legislature to ensure persons with questionable character do not find their way to positions that can be used to compromise the electoral system and the development of democracy in Nigeria.

What INEC Should Do
Promote the decentralization of election management in Nigeria to enhance efficiency, transparency, and inclusivity by empowering regional and local structures to oversee electoral processes, address logistical challenges, and engage communities more effectively.

INEC should undertake a review of its internal processes to incorporate ward-level collation of results and ensure strict adherence to the electoral guidelines as mandated.

Technology should be integrated into the electoral process to enhance accountability and transparency, aligning with global best practices and ensuring the credibility of the election outcomes.

INEC should live up to its billing of strengthening political parties through its regulatory function to ensure internal democracy is entrenched in political parties.

To further deepen the space for political participation, INEC should allow the registration of new political parties as enshrined in the constitution.

INEC should consider the creation of new departments to enable it to effectively regulate and monitor political parties

What Security Should Do
Electoral offenders should be prosecuted in accordance with the law, as this would serve as a strong deterrent to others. Holding offenders accountable is essential for ensuring free, fair, and credible elections.

Security agencies should be professional in their conduct and maintain their independence and neutrality on electoral matters and focus on protecting citizens’ rights and upholding the rule of law,

What Political Parties Should Do
Political parties should not be seen as mere special-purpose-vehicle (SPV) for elections every four years, rather as viable, ongoing entities that remain actively engaged in political, social, and economic issues.

Opposition Political parties must unite to form a strong, viable coalition that ensures checks and balances, promotes accountability, and fosters healthy political discourse to protect the integrity of the democratic process.

Political party should adopt innovative strategies for raising funds to support their operations, ensuring financial independence and sustainability to minimise state capture and corrupt tendencies.

Political parties should embrace competitive primaries, as this remains the most effective means to field competent and capable candidates for voters to make their choices.

Democracy should not be a discourse only at the national and sub-national governance levels but should first be practiced within the political parties.

Conclusion
Participants commended the efforts of the partners for convening the conference and enjoined all relevant stakeholders to play their role as expected to strengthen democracy in Nigeria.


  • joshua

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