The Aare Egbe-Omo Balogun of Ibadanland, Olooye Adegboyega Adegoke has called for urgent reforms in political, institutional and consequences management ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adegoke, while speaking at the Yemi Farounbi Colloquium’s Nigeria 65th Independence Anniversary Lecture in Ibadan, said there is urgent need for reforms within Nigeria’s political parties, saying the nation’s democratic process cannot thrive without fixing the foundation of political recruitment.
He lamented that it is difficult for professionals and technocrats to participate in politics due to flawed recruitment mechanisms within political parties.
Adegoke, who was the Chairman at the lecture, emphasised that integrity, teamwork and proper candidates selection are critical to achieving credible elections.
According to him, the challenges facing elections are not solely the responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as he said the commission is only part of a larger system.
He insisted that cases of electoral fraud must be met with prosecution and effective consequence management, where offenders are penalized without exceptions.
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While acknowledging importance of reviewing Nigeria’s legal framework, Adegoke stressed that implementation is even more crucial.
He added that institutional reforms must extend beyond INEC to include citizens, political parties, and security agencies such as the police.
“The people also need reforms,” he said, categorising it as part of the broader institutional reforms needed for Nigeria’s democracy to progress.
The guest lecturer, Senator Yunus Akintunde, while speaking on the topic “Recalibrating Nigeria’s Electoral Architecture: Legal, Technological and Institutional Reforms for 2027”, said to recalibrate Nigeria’s electoral architecture will requires the pursuance of comprehensive reforms and not piecemeal adjustments.
Akintunde, who was represented by his media aide, Kunle Olatunji, called for establishment of an Electoral Reform Implementation Committee by mid-2026 to coordinate legal, technological, and institutional changes.
Akintunde further said that there is the need to build consensus across INEC, political parties, civil society, judiciary, and security agencies; prioritize sustained civic education to rebuild citizens’ trust and reduce apathy.
He said Nigeria should learn from international best practices but adapt reforms to Nigeria’s realities.
Speaking on necessary institutional reforms, Akintunde said institutions, not individuals, must anchor the Electoral system.
He said reforms should include: ensuring that appointments to INEC leadership are based on competence, independence, and integrity, not political patronage; decentralizing INEC’s operations to empower state offices: Establishing a specialized Election Security Unit insulated from partisan control; Strengthening judicial independence and expediting electoral case resolution; Enforcing internal democracy within political parties, with strict penalties for infractions and Expanding the roles of civil society and media in civic education, monitoring, and accountability.
Akintunde said the 2027 elections present another opportunity to restore faith in democracy.
“With them right legal reforms, technological upgrades, and institutional recalibration, Nigeria can build an electoral system that is transparent, resilient, and truly reflective of the people’s will.
“The future of Nigeria depends on it and our collective resolve to ensure positioning our nation on the right trajectory in this regard will activate our desire for sustainable development agenda towards true Nation building.”
Also, former Nigerian Ambassador to Philippines and the Kingdom of Cambodia, Amb. Yemi Farounbi said good Leadership comprises three key elements, which are vision, competence and character, saying if the character is lacking, the other two elements will be meaningless.
“The takeaway from this lecture is that we will have good Nigeria when we have good leadership and we would have good leadership if we have good followership who elect good leadership.
“A mango tree will never produce an orange fruit. If Nigeria is bad, it will not produce a good president or a good governor.
“Nigeria is currently constitutes of about 230 Millions people and without the people, there can’t be Nigeria. If the people are not right, then Nigeria cannot be right.”
The Administrative Secretary of INEC in Oyo State, Mrs Rosemary Adeniyi, said the Commission has consistently advocated for and appreciates the growing consensus on the need for financial and administrative autonomy for the Electoral Umpire.
“This is not about aggrandisement; it is about efficiency and predictability. When INEC receives its funds directly from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, it uses the same to eliminates bureaucratic bottlenecks that can delay critical electoral activities like the timely printing of sensitive materials, the recruitment and training of ad-hoc staff and the maintenance of our technological asset.
“In Oyo State however, we are committed to maximizing every resource allocated to us. We are deepening the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), not just for accreditation but for verification of voters on election day.
“The use of INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) has also ensured the seamless transmission of results, which has become a cornerstone of public trust in the electoral process. Our goal is an INEC in Oyo State that is not only independent in name but is seen by all as a truly effective, impartial and professional umpire.”
