Rotimi Amaechi urges Nigerians to vote massively in 2027 to prevent President Tinubu’s re-election, citing voter apathy and opposition weaknesses

Rotimi Amaechi, former governor of Rivers State and a chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, has urged Nigerians to prepare for massive voter turnout in 2027 to prevent President Bola Tinubu from securing a second term.

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Speaking at the fifth anniversary lecture of First Daily newspaper in Abuja on Monday, Amaechi highlighted that Tinubu’s defeat in Lagos State in 2023 demonstrates that the president is not invincible.

He stressed that voter apathy and political complacency allow electoral malpractice to thrive.

“The first solution to electoral reform is not the government. The people are the problem. The more you say they have written the results, the more you have voter apathy.

Voter apathy will make President Bola Tinubu return to Villa,” Amaechi said.

He urged Nigerians to recognise the power in their hands and take control of the electoral process. Amaechi criticised opposition parties for lacking focus and viable strategies, noting that internal division weakens their ability to challenge the ruling elite.

“The opposition party is not discussing how to save Nigeria. Nobody is saying, oh things are bad, how do we change the candidate,” he said.

Amaechi also called on the National Assembly to strengthen electoral laws to prevent result falsification and protect the sovereignty of the people.

Former Bayelsa governor Seriake Dickson, who chaired the event, condemned the manipulation of election results as “the worst coup” against democracy.

Dickson lamented collusion between politicians, governments, security agencies, and the electoral umpire as a serious violation of popular sovereignty.

Dr Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, criticised the current electoral system, citing the entanglement of election management with political power.

He urged civil society and citizens to hold institutions accountable, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to ensure free and fair elections.

The publisher of First Daily, Daniel Markson, highlighted the leadership crisis in Nigeria, linking it to flawed elections. He announced a nationwide voter sensitisation campaign next year to boost civic participation ahead of the 2027 polls.

Despite reforms such as the Smart Card Reader and Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, allegations of vote-buying, intimidation, and result manipulation persist.

These issues have eroded public trust, reinforcing the urgency of electoral reform as the nation approaches the 2027 general elections.

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The event gathered political figures, diplomats, and media executives to discuss the future of Nigeria’s democracy and the critical need to restore integrity to the electoral process.