…Pro-Tinubu group seeks Igbo leaders’ intervention,

…Proposes political alliance with Southeast ahead of 2027 presidential poll.

By Our Correspondent

The political temperature ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election has risen another notch as a support group backing President Bola Tinubu says it is preparing to engage prominent Igbo leaders in an effort to persuade former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, to step down from the presidential contest and support Tinubu’s re-election bid.

The Southeast chapter of the Renewed Hope for Greater Nigeria (RHGN) disclosed the plan following a meeting focused on strengthening President Tinubu’s support base across the five Southeast states.

The group said it intends to approach the leadership of Ohanaeze Ndigbo, as well as respected elder statesmen including Chief Emeka Anyaoku and Commodore Ebitu Ukiwe, with a request that they intervene and appeal directly to Obi.

According to the Southeast leader of RHGN, Mazi Franklin Ngoforo, the proposed engagement is not designed to undermine Obi’s political influence or question his ambition. Rather, he said, the objective is to encourage the former governor to consider what he described as the long-term strategic interests of the Southeast.

Ngoforo argued that the 2027 presidential contest should not be viewed simply as a battle between individual politicians, but as an opportunity for the Southeast to negotiate a broader political arrangement that could improve its chances of producing Nigeria’s president in the future.

The group’s argument is built around the possibility of a political understanding between the Southeast and Southwest.

Ngoforo said the Southeast could consider supporting the Southwest in the 2027 election while simultaneously building a political alliance that could yield reciprocal support when the presidency becomes available to the region in the future.

He pointed to the constitutional limitation on presidential tenure, arguing that President Tinubu, if re-elected, would have only one additional term after 2027.

For the RHGN leadership, this creates an opportunity for what it described as a long-term political compact between regions.

Rather than concentrating solely on who wins or loses the 2027 election, the group wants the Southeast to consider the potential political dividends that could emerge from building strategic relationships with other parts of the co

One of the central arguments being advanced by the Tinubu support group is that Obi’s decision to withdraw from the 2027 race would not necessarily mean the end of his presidential ambition.

Ngoforo reportedly described the proposed move as a postponement rather than an abandonment of Obi’s political aspirations.

The group believes that stepping aside in 2027 could allow Obi and his supporters to build a broader political arrangement capable of strengthening the Southeast’s bargaining position in subsequent presidential contests.

The proposal, however, remains an appeal from a pro-Tinubu political group. There is no indication that Obi has agreed to withdraw his candidacy or support Tinubu.

The planned approach to Ohanaeze Ndigbo and respected Igbo elder statesmen reflects the group’s belief that influential voices within the Southeast could help shape the political direction of the region.

The RHGN wants the elders to consider the wider political implications of the 2027 election and, if persuaded by its argument, lead a delegation to Obi.

The proposed intervention could potentially open a fresh conversation within the Southeast over whether the region should pursue an immediate presidential bid or negotiate a political alliance aimed at securing stronger prospects in the future.

With the 2027 presidential election approaching, the emerging proposal adds another layer to what is expected to be a highly competitive political contest.

Obi remains a major political figure with significant support, particularly among young Nigerians and voters who backed his presidential campaign in the previous election.

Any attempt to persuade him to withdraw would therefore represent a significant political undertaking.

For the Tinubu support group, however, the focus is on convincing Southeast stakeholders that strategic alliances could produce longer-term political benefits.

The group is expected to make its case to Ohanaeze Ndigbo and the elder statesmen before any possible engagement with Obi.

Whether the proposal will gain traction remains uncertain.

The idea of asking a major presidential contender to step aside is politically sensitive, particularly in a country where regional interests, party calculations and individual political ambitions often intersect.

For supporters of Obi, the 2027 election could be seen as another opportunity to pursue the presidency, while the Tinubu camp and its allies are seeking to consolidate support for the incumbent.

The proposed intervention by RHGN could therefore trigger wider discussions across the Southeast about political strategy, regional bargaining power and the future of the presidency.

For now, the message from the Tinubu support group is clear: it wants respected Igbo leaders to intervene, speak with Obi and persuade him that postponing his presidential ambition could ultimately serve the broader interests of the Southeast.

As the 2027 political season gathers momentum, the proposed meeting could become one of the early tests of whether regional political alliances can overcome individual ambitions in the race for Nigeria’s highest office.

The Igbo Heroes and Icons Foundation (IHIF), has rejected moves by the Renewed Hope for Greater Nigeria (RHGN), a campaign group supporting President Bola Tinubu, to persuade former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to withdraw from the 2027 presidential race.

RHGN, through its Deputy National Leader (South-East), Mazi Franklin Ngoforo, had announced plans to meet Igbo leaders, including Ohanaeze Ndigbo and former Commonwealth Secretary-General, Chief Emeka Anyaoku, to persuade Obi to support Tinubu’s bid to complete eight years in office.

However, in a statement yesterday, the National Coordinator of IHIF, Chinedu Nsofor, urged the group to allow Obi to exercise his constitutional right to contest the election.

IHIF, which is campaigning for a president of Igbo extraction in 2027, has adopted Obi as its preferred candidate for the election.

Nsofor challenged RHGN to instead mobilise support for the Igbo presidency project and prevail on Tinubu to step down for Obi in the 2027 election, saying such a move would promote equity, justice and fairness.

He said Nigerians should be allowed to freely choose their preferred candidate at the polls.

“In any civilised clime, conscience based on equity, fairness and justice supremely prevails in all dealings. This fairness, equity and justice guarantee unity, peace, progress and national cohesion, particularly in a country like Nigeria where cultural and tribal diversities are highly pronounced,” Nsofor said.

He, argued that the Igbo’s had made significant sacrifices for Nigeria’s unity and deserved an opportunity to produce the president.

According to him, the rotation of the presidency since 1999 had largely favoured the North and South-West.

Nsofor noted that former President Olusegun Obasanjo, a Yoruba, served for eight years, while former Presidents Umaru Yar’Adua and Muhammadu Buhari, both from the North, served a combined 11 years.

He added that former President Goodluck Jonathan, from the South-South, served for five years.

“After Buhari’s tenure in May 2023, every right-thinking Nigerian expected that it was to be the turn of the Igbo to produce the successor to Buhari. But that was not to be,” he said.

Nsofor further argued that the Yoruba and Hausa-Fulani had dominated the presidency over the years, while the Igbo had not had a sustained opportunity to lead the country since independence.

He said the Igbo had only occupied the presidency for about six months on an interim basis, while the Yoruba and Hausa-Fulani had each produced presidents for considerably longer periods.

The IHIF coordinator also questioned the application of the federal character principle, asking whether an Igbo jurist had ever been appointed Chief Justice of Nigeria despite the contributions of eminent Igbo jurists.

Nsofor, however, urged Nigerians to prioritise competence over ethnicity and religion when choosing their leaders in 2027.

“Let us avoid electing a leader that does not know the balance of ninety-seven percent removed from hundred percent… University graduates should be preferred to school certificate holders for presidential candidate; not graduates without certificates,” he said.

He said the 2027 election presented an opportunity to change the pattern of political leadership in the country.

“Doing one thing in the same way every time will not give a different result. Let us shift this national leadership base to this untried tribe — the Igbo tribe — and see what happens.

“The forthcoming 2027 presidential election is the golden opportunity to explore this governmental leadership revolutionary change,” he stated.

Obedient Movement in Ebonyi State has collapsed into the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Bob Uchenna Agbeze, the Director General of Anyi Ga Emeya Youth Movement, a support group of the governorship candidate of the PDP in the state, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, made the  disclosure. He noted that the group examined all the governorship candidates of various political parties in the state and endorsed Odii because of his track records.

He  alleged that the present administration in the state has not addressed the problems of the people

“We have taken notes of all the candidates, we have taken notes of all their antecedents from the day they were born. We have taken notes of all their networks, their business records, and all they have done, and we are saying, today, we are endorsing Chief Ifeanyi Odii.

“There is only one statement in the present administration that I cannot factor into equation. That statement is, you still have about eight months into the election and you are still telling people “forgive my shortcomings and vote me again”.

“Certainly, the trajectory for good governance doesn’t take eight months. To reverse the trajectory doesn’t take 24 hours.

It is about going to your bedroom, praying God to give you and you come back to tell yourself, no, I have done this wrong. I will do it right, and it doesn’t take 24 hours to implement policies that the people will see.

“The people of Ebonyi State don’t want you to give them money individually, they want you to give them a trajectory, developmental achievement. Even if you don’t achieve all, but let them see you moving.

“By your trajectory, they will now say, okay, even if your two years, three years were not something to write home about, but we are seeing the way you are going now, we are seeing if right”, he stated.

Agbaeze said Odii will tackle the development challenges confronting the state when elected.

The Ebonyi State Independent Electoral Commission, EBSIEC, has dismissed the Peoples Democratic Party’s, PDP’s protest against the August 22 local government elections in the state, insisting that the party was given adequate opportunity to participate in the electoral process.

The commission also rejected the PDP’s reported threat to seek legal redress, maintaining that the election was conducted in line with the relevant constitutional and statutory provisions.

The Commissioner and Chairman of EBSIEC’s Information, Voter Education and Publicity Committee, Collins Agbo, made the assertions while addressing journalists after the conclusion of the council elections across Ebonyi State.

Agbo said EBSIEC would not engage in a war of words with any faction of the PDP, but stressed that the commission followed its approved timetable and complied with the legal requirements guiding local government elections.

The Presidency has said the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council list for the 2027 election will be adjusted where necessary, but denied that the list has been withdrawn or subjected to a wholesale review

Sunday Dare, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Media and Public Communication, made this known yesterday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

Dare was responding to reports that the APC had withdrawn the list following controversy over the inclusion and exclusion of some party leaders and other political figures.

He said the list remained valid, stressing that the party was yet to constitute all the subcommittees that would make up the campaign structure.

“As it is with every other list, there’s a room for subcommittees. Those subcommittees have not been formed, and so many other names will come into that subcommittee,” Dare said.

“So that list has not been withdrawn. The APC has issued a statement to that effect yesterday, that list stands. But of course, there will be adjustments. The list is not cast in stone, just like every other list.”

The APC had on Tuesday rejected reports that its 2027 presidential campaign council list had been withdrawn.

The list, announced over the weekend, named President Tinubu as chairman of the council, with Vice-President Kashim Shettima and APC National Chairman Nentawe Yilwatda as vice chairmen.

Former Zamfara State Governor and Senator, Abdul’aziz Yari, was named Director-General, while Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma was designated secretary.

Asked whether the list was therefore open to review, Dare avoided the term “review”, describing the expected changes instead as adjustments.

“Not a review, just adjustments where necessary,” he said.

When pressed on whether his reluctance to use the word “review” meant the list was indeed being reconsidered, the presidential aide maintained that the expected changes did not amount to a comprehensive overhaul

“Review is wholesale, this is not wholesale,” Dare said.

He explained that the creation of additional subcommittees would provide room for more party members and political stakeholders to participate in the campaign structure.

As the 2027 general elections gather momentum, the APC National Vice Chairman of South East, Dr. Ijeomah Arodiogbu, has charged the APC LGA chairmen to judiciously use the vehicles freely donated to them by the APC and the Governor to mobilize, as well as campaign for the party at the nooks and crannies of Imo State.

He said a holistic and conscientious campaigns at the grassroots would further highlight, as well as remind the people of the rich and good works the APC and the 3R administration had put in place in Imo State, including other parts of South East, to enable the party’s full and solid support by the voters for overwhelming victory in the polls.

Arodiogbu gave the charge while addressing  APC members during the official handover of brand new Campaign Buses to the leaders of the party, last Saturday, at Emmanuel Iwuanyanwu International Conference Center (EIICC), Owerri, by Governor Hope Uzodimma.

He said the APC cannot tolerate any pretence, excuse or anti party activity, but hard work, commitment and delivery, saying to whom much is given much is expected.

Without mincing words, Arodiogbu had called on all members of the party to work on one page, to ensure that all the party’s candidates emerge victoriously in the election to evenly consolidate democratic  governance in the collective interests of the people, state, region and the country at large.

While describing Governor Hope Uzodimma as a visionary politician, who he said is a democratic leader, Arodiogbu added that the good works recorded so far by the Governor would earn him the Orlu Zone Senate in 2027, appealing to the people of Orlu Zone to continue to support him and vote for him during the election.

“Words are not  enough to roll out the accolades our Governor, Hope Uzodimma, has earned due largely to the numerous quality and nice things he has achieved since he became the Executive Governor of Imo State.

“Our Governor is a man of Grace and everything he touches becomes successful. I adore him for his fairness, kindness, visionary and democratic leadership. His pragmatism and patriotism are very endearing.

“I thank him very much for providing the vehicles. The Buses are purely to donated to roundly mobilize and campaign for the party. Hence I charge all the APC LGA chairmen to use those vehicles very judiciously for State Assembly, Reps, Senate and Presidential Campaigns of the party to ensure our victory at the poll in 2027”, the patriotic son of Arondizuogu, Ideato North said.

Identifying the Governor as a man of grace, values, who engineers the existence and solidity of APC in the South East, Arodiogbu lauded him for being a good party man who runs an open door governance.

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Felix Morka, has said President Bola Tinubu has performed better than Olusegun Obasanjo and every other democratically elected president in Nigeria’s history.

Morka made the claim on Monday during an interview on Channels Television while defending the performance of the Tinubu administration and its economic policies.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has outperformed any president in his first term. He has outperformed any democratically elected president in this country in their terms,” Morka said.

Asked to identify the indicators supporting the claim, the APC spokesperson said the state of the economy provided evidence of the administration’s performance.

“The indicators are res ipsa loquitur as we say in law; they speak for themselves. This president inherited an economy that was completely in a mess,” he said.

Morka attributed the economic difficulties inherited by Tinubu to what he described as failures of previous administrations, particularly the 16-year rule of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at the federal level.

He also defended the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who succeeded the PDP government in 2015, saying Buhari’s tenure helped stabilise the country before Tinubu assumed office.

“Buhari was a stopgap president that really came to keep the country from tipping over the precipice — from 16 years of horrific maladministration of the PDP government,” Morka said.

“President Buhari served his term, did his job to hold the country still for President Tinubu to enter.”

The APC spokesman further argued that the reforms introduced by Tinubu had helped move the country away from what he described as severe economic difficulties, particularly at the macroeconomic level.

Morka said the effects of the reforms were becoming increasingly evident, including among some critics of the administration.

He maintained that Nigeria had “come out of the woods” at the macroeconomic level as a result of policies implemented by the Tinubu administration.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC), vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has attributed the inability of opposition parties to agree on a single presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections to personal ambitions among political leaders.

Amaechi expressed regret that opposition politicians had been unable to reach a consensus despite calls for a united front against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

The former Minister of Transportation spoke on Monday during a panel session at the ongoing Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) 2026 Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He said the coalition effort remained difficult because many of the politicians involved were unwilling to put aside their individual ambitions.

“Coalition as it is today is difficult to achieve. If it is possible, I am sure that Vice President Atiku Abubakar would be willing to participate.

“But the difficulty in it is that everybody has ambition. Nobody wants to give up. There are very few politicians who are in love with Nigeria. What the politicians are doing is to just come in and milk the country dry,” Amaechi said.

He, however, defended his record in public office, saying that projects initiated and completed by his administration when he served as governor of Rivers State remained visible across the state.

Speaking ahead of the 2027 elections, Amaechi urged Nigerians to reject ethnic considerations and assess political candidates based on their performance, competence and acceptability.

“A coalition should be based on performance. Assess us by our last performance and choose; don’t just vote because you are from Ikwerre or Omoku and choose your candidate,” he said.

Amaechi described the ADC, as a fresh political option and credible alternative ahead of the 2027 elections.

“ADC provides a different kind of leadership completely. If we can’t perform, don’t vote for us,” the former Rivers State governor told the gathering.

The lawmaker representing Ikeduru state constituency in Imo State House of Assembly, Hon Chief Johnleoba Iheoha has expressed immense joy over the emergence of the state governor, Senator Dr Hope Uzodimma, CON, GSGI, GSSRS as Secretary-general of APC 2027 Presidential Election Campaign Council.
In an encounter with news men in Owerri, Hon Johnleoba Iheoha boldly asserted that the appointment of Hope Uzodimma as the Chief Scribe of APC 2027 Presidential Election Campaign Council is not just another national honour but also, a strong confirmation that the Imo state Chief Executive and chairman of Nigeria’s Progressive Governors’ Forum is a competent, reliable and deep-rooted administrator of human and material resources and indeed, true commander of political forces nationwide.
Hon Iheoha expressed strong belief that with Hope Uzodimma as secretary-general and Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR as the president of the council, the ruling party, APC would score landslide victory in the 2027 presidential election.
Johnleoba Iheoha therefore, charged all Ikeduru constituents and entire Imo people to join hands with Governor Hope Uzodimma to enable him deliver 100% result to APC in this new appointment which he described as a great honour to Ndigbo in general.

The 2027 senatorial campaign of Attorney Charles Onyirimba has received a major organisational boost with the appointment of Mrs. Favour Nwelue as Director-General of the Campaign Council.

Onyirimba, the Action Democratic Party (ADP) candidate for Okigwe Zone, is seeking to unseat established political interests and secure a stronger voice for the zone in the National Assembly.

Nwelue’s appointment places an experienced grassroots mobiliser at the centre of the campaign’s political machinery as it expands its structures across the six local government areas that make up Okigwe Zone.

She is the second woman to assume the position of Director-General of a major Imo North senatorial campaign, following the earlier appointment of Mrs. Love Ineh as DG of the campaign organisation of former Imo North lawmaker, Senator Frank Ibezim.

Nwelue is regarded as a politician with a strong understanding of grassroots dynamics and community engagement. Her political networks, organisational experience and mobilisation capacity are expected to strengthen the campaign’s ability to connect with voters and communicate Onyirimba’s message at the community level.

Her appointment also underscores the campaign’s emphasis on building a structure that goes beyond conventional political networks by engaging communities, professional groups, women, youths, religious bodies and other stakeholders across the zone.

The 40-member Campaign Council comprises politicians, technocrats and credible men and women from diverse backgrounds across the six LGAs. Its composition reflects an effort to combine political experience, professional competence, grassroots knowledge and broad-based representation in the campaign structure.

With Nwelue assuming responsibility for coordinating the campaign council, attention is expected to shift towards strengthening ward-level structures, expanding voter engagement and deepening grassroots mobilisation as the 2027 contest draws closer.

The Onyirimba campaign has continued to present the ADP candidate as a choice centred on competence, capacity and purposeful representation, with a commitment to giving Ndi Okigwe a stronger and more effective voice at the National Assembly.

Nwelue’s emergence is therefore expected to add momentum to the campaign’s preparations as political activities gradually intensify across Okigwe Zone.

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has said the President Bola Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, has enough achievements to present to Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Akpabio said the administration inherited a difficult economic situation, claiming that 27 states were unable to pay workers’ salaries and pensions when Tinubu assumed office in 2023.

He stated this on Monday when members of the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions, TETFund and NELFund, led by its Chairman, Senator Dandutse Mohammed, paid him a courtesy visit at his residence in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

Akpabio’s Special Assistant on Media, Jackson Udom, disclosed this in a statement issued in Abuja yesterday.

He said, “The current President has done a lot for Nigerians. He met an economy in shambles. When he came in, 27 states could not pay salaries and pensions, but today, the story has changed because of his reengineering and thinking out of the box. In 2027, Nigerians will separate the chaff from the grains and re-elect President Tinubu for a second term in office.

“We have a President who thinks outside the box, bringing about innovation. We will have something to tell Nigerians about the unprecedented achievements of Mr President at the campaign grounds. Someone who is challenging him cannot even tell us what he did when he was governor.

“I can tell you what I did when I was the governor of my state. We will tell them a lot. Those in the opposition know too well the achievements of this government in the area of the economy, agriculture, security, education and fiscal policy, but because they are in the opposition, they won’t say it.”

Akpabio also defended the performance of the 10th National Assembly, saying the Senate had passed legislation aimed at improving the lives of Nigerians.

“The 10th Senate under my leadership has made giant strides, and we are very proud of it. We will continue to collaborate with the Executive arm of government to achieve more for Nigerians.

“Even in this period of our annual vacation, you are here in Uyo doing your job. We don’t need to listen to social media because it is garbage in, garbage out,” he noted.

The Senate President urged lawmakers who would not return to the 11th Senate to remain committed to the APC and Tinubu’s administration.

Akpabio assured them that their loyalty to the party and the President would be recognised, while urging them to continue contributing to the success of the administration.

Earlier, Mohammed said the committee’s visit was part of its constitutional responsibilities and an opportunity to pay homage to the Senate President.

“We are here today for a very important constitutional responsibility and to pay homage to our leader. The Senate President of the Republic of Nigeria. Under your leadership, we have enacted laws that are benefiting the Nigerian masses.

“Nigerian parents are happy because of TETFund and NELFund. We are in Akwa Ibom State on sensitisation and oversight of all of the infrastructure executed by TETFund.

“On behalf of my colleagues, I want to sincerely appreciate your support. This law is fundamental to the success story of the development of Nigeria, because education is key to success.”, he noted.

The National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, (APC), Felix Morka, yesterday accused the African Democratic Congress, (ADC), presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar and the Nigerian Democratic Congress, (NDC), presidential candidate, Peter Obi and his running mate, Rabiu Kwankwaso of grandstanding.

Morka said Kwankwaso was part of the establishment responsible for the challenges Nigerians are currently facing.

In an interview on TVC’s Beyond The Headlines, Morka insisted that the former Kano State governor is not the new direction that Nigerians need.

According to Morka: “Kwankwaso, a new direction to where? And I will offer an answer: a new direction to nowhere. This election is not about making empty buzzwords and speaking as though he just dropped from the sky.

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“He has been and remains a part and parcel of the Nigerian establishment, so whatever is going on today, Kwankwaso was a frontline contributor to the challenges that we are facing today; he is by every standard.

“So when men like Atiku, Kwankwaso, Peter Obi, and some of these elements of the opposition come out to grandstand, I don’t need to say much because I think that Nigerians understand what they are up to.  “Simply throwing around; these words mean nothing. Nigerians know that this country, over generations, was severely misgoverned, not just by the military dictatorship but by Democrats who wielded authority in this country; they didn’t serve the country well and Nigerians know that.”

Prominent Civil Society Organisations(CSOs), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), Transparency International Nigeria and Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), have thrown their weight behind the call by the Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, on Nigerians to break the culture of silence and demand accountability from the government.

Onaiyekan had urged Nigerians to end the culture of silence and demand accountability from elected leaders at every level of government.

He spoke at Ave Maria University, Pinako, during a ceremony organised to mark the 70th birthday of the Catholic Bishop of Nsukka Diocese, Most Rev. Godfrey Igwebuike Onah.

The Cardinal said Nigerians should no longer accept a situation where elected officials treat themselves as masters.

At the same time, citizens remain powerless, insisting that democracy must place government at the service of the people.

Reacting to the admonition, the leader of the CSOs, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, welcomed Cardinal Onaiyekan’s call on Nigerians to reject political docility and demand accountability from elected representatives at all levels.

He said, the Archbishop’s message speaks directly to one of the fundamental challenges confronting Nigeria’s democracy: the widening gap between citizens and those elected to serve them.

Rafsanjani, in an interview with our correspondent, said democracy cannot function effectively when elected officials begin to see public office as a privilege without corresponding responsibility.

“Political leaders are servants of the people, not their masters. From local government councillors and chairpersons to governors, legislators and the President, every public official must be accountable for public resources, policies, promises and decisions taken in the name of citizens.

“Cardinal Onaiyekan is also right to emphasise that Nigerians must move beyond a culture of silence. Accountability cannot be left exclusively to elections conducted every four years.

“Citizens must continuously engage government through town hall meetings, constituency engagements, petitions, Freedom of Information requests, public hearings, budget monitoring, peaceful advocacy, investigative journalism and the lawful activities of civil society organisations.

“However, citizens can only exercise this responsibility effectively where the government protects civic space. Nigerians who peacefully criticise government, expose corruption or question public policies should not be subjected to intimidation, harassment, arbitrary arrest or threats. Freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly are indispensable pillars of democratic accountability,” he said.

Rafsanjani insisted that responsible citizenship must accompany the demand for responsible leadership, saying Nigerians cannot condemn corruption while participating in vote-buying, political violence, ethnic manipulation, or celebrating individuals whose sources of wealth cannot be explained.

The prominent CSO leader maintained that the quality of democracy ultimately depends on both leaders’ conduct and citizens’ willingness to defend integrity and democratic values.

He said, “Religious leaders and institutions also have an important moral responsibility. When religious leaders speak against corruption, poverty, injustice, insecurity and policies that undermine human dignity, such interventions should not automatically be interpreted as partisan politics.

“Constructive criticism from credible institutions is an important part of a democratic society.”

Rafsanjani maintained that as Nigeria moves toward the 2027 general election, Cardinal Onaiyekan’s message should serve as a reminder that citizens must become more demanding about the quality of leadership they elect.

“Nigerians should interrogate candidates on their records, competence, integrity, policies and commitment to constitutional democracy rather than allowing ethnicity, religion, inducement or political propaganda to determine their choices.

“Ultimately, Nigeria needs a democratic culture in which leaders understand that public office is a trust, citizens understand that sovereignty belongs to them, and institutions are strong enough to ensure that nobody is above accountability.

“The transformation Cardinal Onaiyekan is calling for will only happen when Nigerians consistently insist that those who seek power must answer to the people before, during and after elections,” he added.