Athena Centre Calls for Electoral Reforms to Bridge Nigeria’s Legitimacy Gap Ahead of 2027 Polls

Athena Centre Calls for Electoral Reforms to Bridge Nigeria’s Legitimacy Gap Ahead of 2027 Polls

ABUJA — The Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership has urged comprehensive electoral reforms to address what it describes as Nigeria’s persistent “legitimacy gap,” warning that credible elections remain critical to political stability, economic growth, and public trust in democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The policy think tank made the call in a position paper titled “Closing the Legitimacy Gaps in Nigerian Elections,” authored by its Adviser on Editorial and Thought Support, Sani Abdullahi.

The Centre, founded by former Minister of Aviation and former Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Chief Osita Chidoka, said its mission is to strengthen evidence-based policymaking and promote reforms capable of deepening democratic governance in Nigeria.

According to the paper, Nigeria's electoral history has been marked by recurring crises arising from flawed election management, often resulting in political instability and weakening public confidence in democratic processes.

The Centre traced the roots of the country's electoral challenges to the controversial 1965 Western Region elections, which triggered widespread violence known as “Operation Wetie” and contributed to the collapse of the First Republic following the military coup of January 1966.

It also highlighted the disputed 1983 general elections, conducted under the then Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO), which were widely criticized for alleged manipulation in favour of the ruling National Party of Nigeria (NPN). The aftermath, the report noted, led to political unrest and eventually paved the way for another military takeover.

The paper further identified the electoral controversies of the Fourth Republic, particularly the 2003 and 2007 general elections, as significant contributors to voter apathy and declining public trust.

According to the Centre, the 2007 election was characterized by widespread irregularities, including missing ballot papers and the announcement of results before voting concluded in some areas.

It recalled that late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua publicly acknowledged the shortcomings of the electoral process that brought him to power, a development that accelerated calls for electoral reforms and technological innovations in election management.

The Athena Centre also examined the controversy surrounding the 2023 presidential election, particularly the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to consistently upload presidential election results in real-time through its Result Viewing Portal (IReV), despite prior assurances.

The report stated that the incident further weakened public confidence in the electoral system and reinforced concerns about institutional transparency and credibility.

Beyond technological shortcomings, the Centre noted the increasing judicialization of electoral politics, where election outcomes are increasingly determined through litigation rather than the ballot box.

It argued that weak internal party mechanisms and ambiguities in electoral regulations have contributed to a surge in post-election court battles.

The report also expressed concern over the continued use of political thugs and armed groups during elections, describing electoral violence as a major threat to democratic participation and public safety.

To address these challenges, the Athena Centre unveiled a comprehensive electoral reform agenda anchored on technology, transparency, accountability, and institutional strengthening.

Among its key initiatives is the establishment of the Athena Election Observatory (AEO), a permanent framework designed to monitor the electoral process from candidate nomination to post-election adjudication while providing data-driven recommendations for reforms ahead of the 2027 polls.

The Centre disclosed that it has conducted independent audits of electoral processes in several states, including Edo, Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi, using technical teams to verify and digitize election results directly from the IReV portal.

In October 2025, the Centre also convened a national dialogue titled “Innovation in Electoral Technology 2015–2025: Gains, Gaps, and the Road Ahead,” which assessed the performance of electoral technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the IReV portal.

A major contribution of the Centre's research, according to the report, is its concept of the “Legitimacy Paradox.”

The framework argues that while technologies such as BVAS have improved voter accreditation and reduced certain forms of election-day manipulation, public confidence in elections has not increased proportionately because legitimacy concerns often emerge after voting, particularly during result collation, aggregation, official communication, and dispute resolution processes.

The report maintained that electoral integrity should no longer be viewed solely through the lens of voting-day activities but must encompass the transparency and credibility of the entire electoral chain.

The Centre also advocated campaign finance reforms through a proposed Campaign Integrity and Transparency Framework that would require political actors to disclose digital advertising metadata and online campaign expenditures.

According to the proposal, such measures would improve transparency in political financing, curb covert spending, and strengthen regulatory oversight of election campaigns.

The Athena Centre concluded that electoral legitimacy remains the foundation of democratic governance, noting that citizens are more likely to trust government institutions and comply with civic obligations when they believe leaders emerge through transparent and credible electoral processes.

It warned that without substantial reforms, Nigeria risks undermining its democratic progress and weakening the institutional foundations necessary for political stability, economic development, and investor confidence.

The Centre emphasized that with the 2027 general elections approaching, urgent action is needed to bridge the gap between citizens’ expectations of democracy and their actual electoral experiences.