Former governors of Bayelsa and Rivers States, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson and Rotimi Amaechi, have cautioned political leaders against electoral manipulation as Nigeria moves toward the 2027 general elections.

Speaking on Monday at the fifth anniversary lecture of First Daily in Abuja, themed “2027: How Can We Make Our Votes Count?”, both leaders expressed concern about rising voter apathy and entrenched electoral fraud, describing them as severe threats to Nigeria’s democracy.

Dickson, who chaired the event, condemned election rigging as a “coup against the people’s sovereignty,” arguing that manipulated outcomes undermine democratic values.
“We have a long way to go in protecting the sovereignty that the Constitution says belongs to the people. Rigging of elections is the worst coup you can plan,” he said.

He criticised the ongoing collaboration between politicians, security agencies, and electoral officials to falsify results, stressing that such practices strip citizens of their right to choose their leaders.
“When politicians and electoral umpires fabricate results that bear no relation to the votes cast, that’s a coup against democracy,” he added.

Dickson urged the National Assembly to amend the Electoral Act to make rigging more difficult and restore public trust.

Amaechi, a former Minister of Transportation, argued that meaningful electoral reforms rarely originate from those in power.
“The problem with elections in Nigeria is that no incumbent government can achieve electoral reform  none. We tried it and failed,” he stated.

He accused politicians of resisting reforms for selfish reasons and criticised opposition parties for lacking unity and vision.
“The opposition is part of the problem. They are not discussing how to save Nigeria. Nobody is asking how to change things,” he said.

Amaechi further warned that voter apathy empowers electoral manipulation.
“The first solution to electoral reform is not government it’s the people. The more you say the results are already written, the more people stay home. That apathy will make the incumbent stay in power,” he cautioned.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Sam Amadi, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, said Nigeria’s democracy is being hollowed out by corruption and the capture of electoral institutions.
“Our elections are rigged in one form or another. Everyone connected to managing elections is linked to the president,” he said.

Quoting development expert Paul Collier, he added: “When elections are criminalised, only criminals can win.” Amadi argued that Nigeria’s political structure incentivises corruption, turning elections into contests for personal gain rather than public service.

He called for civic mobilisation, transparency, and increased scrutiny of INEC’s operations ahead of 2027.

Earlier, First Daily publisher Daniel Markson lamented that Nigeria’s leadership crisis stems from decades of flawed elections.
“There is a leadership issue in this country… Let’s tell ourselves the truth: we have failed,” he said.

He announced a nationwide voter sensitisation campaign scheduled for next year to encourage active participation in the 2027 elections.