Nigeria possesses the capacity to realign its electoral system with global best practices, Senator Yunus Akintunde has said, urging stakeholders within the nation’s political landscape to remain committed to the urgent reforms needed ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
The lawmaker made this position known during the First Independence Public Lecture, held in Ibadan on October 1st, as part of the Independence Anniversary celebrations organized by the Yemi Faroumbi Colloquium Initiative in collaboration with Honor TV and Radio Media Group.
Represented by his Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mr. Kunle Olatunji, Senator Akintunde delivered a lecture titled “Recalibrating Nigeria’s Electoral Architecture: Legal, Technological and Institutional Reforms for the 2027 Elections.” He examined the progress and persistent challenges of Nigeria’s electoral processes, while offering practical recommendations on legal, technological, and institutional reforms to guarantee credible elections and strengthen democratic values.
According to him, Nigeria’s past experiences have shown the urgent need to recalibrate the nation’s electoral architecture, stressing that reforms in these critical areas are necessary to prevent a repeat of the pitfalls that marred past elections. He added that with sincerity and political will, the country can ensure that leaders are elected based on competence, vision, and ability to deliver quality governance.
Other speakers, including the Chairman of the occasion, Oloye Adegboyega Adegoke, echoed the call for reforms, emphasizing that institutional restructuring must serve as the foundation for all other changes. He identified sincerity, commitment, and human capacity development as the most critical drivers of a successful political system.
Also speaking, Mrs. Alaba Adeniyi, Administrative Secretary of INEC in Oyo State, assured of the Commission’s continued collaboration with stakeholders to improve future elections through voter education, intensive training, efficient deployment of technology-driven processes, and advocacy for INEC’s financial and operational autonomy.
The Convener of the colloquium, Ambassador Yemi Faroumbi, expressed gratitude to the dignitaries, noting that the initiative would continue to grow into a global brand with future expansions already underway.
