Former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku has advised the Nigerian government and the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to ensure that the forthcoming 2027 general elections are peaceful, fair and credible.
His advice comes following the controversy surrounding the electronic transmission of results in Nigeria’s 2027 national elections.
Anyaoku harped on the importance of transparency and accountability, stressing that the international community would keep a close eye on how the elections are conducted, adding that everyone, including nations with diplomatic representation, would be able to access the results for fairness and credibility.
The chairman of the selection committee of the Obafemi Awolowo Prize for Leadership spoke on Friday at the 2026 Obafemi Awolowo Annual Lecture, held in commemoration of the 117th posthumous birthday of the late sage in Ikenne-Remo, Ogun State.
Anyaoku, however, supported the Federal Government’s decision to seek international help to tackle Nigeria’s insecurity challenges, emphasising that while collaboration is necessary, Nigeria’s sovereignty must be respected and protected.
“I want to say that after over a decade of inability to arrest the kidnappings, the abductions, the killings and the growing population of people forcefully displaced from their ancestral lands and farms, the Federal Government is right, indeed right, to seek collaboration and help from friendly countries in addressing the country’s internal security. They should continue the collaborative arrangement but must be mindful of respect for the sovereignty of Nigeria,” he said.
Delivering the lecture themed “Politics as Future-Making: Awolowo and Leadership as Theory of Action,” Prof. Wale Adebanwi highlighted the dire state of Nigeria’s polity, where kidnappings and killings have become everyday occurrences, arguing that the country’s refusal to address fundamental issues of building a just and egalitarian society has led to the current crises.
Adebanwi opined that the leadership crisis lies at the heart of Nigeria’s problems, emphasising that late Chief Obafemi Awolowo’s vision for Nigeria, which combined politics and leadership, offers a way forward.
The distinguished academic and prolific author urged Nigerians to learn from Awolowo’s example and recommit to creating a more just and equitable nation.
Adebanwi said, “While we are all focused on how to get Nigeria back on the path to a greater future and ensure good leadership, it is important to focus on the fundamentals of that hope. We don’t just need good leaders; we have a few, some in the right places and many in the wrong places. What we need is overall good leadership — one that is produced by and supported by a healthy political system (true federalism), a constitutional democracy, a strong political party system, and an ideological and politically strong yet fundamentally egalitarian elite formation.”
In his remarks, the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 elections, Adewole Adebayo, stated that Chief Awolowo’s vision for Nigeria was clear and that anyone who does not support those goals is “anti-Awolowo.”
Adebayo asserted that current leaders, including President Bola Tinubu, fall short of Awolowo’s standards, stressing that true adherence to Awolowo’s legacy requires action, not just symbolism.
“Awolowo said he would like to be remembered for helping to build a strong and united, multiethnic state, for creating a basis for an irreversible revolution in education and for fostering social justice. So if you are not for a united and strong, multiethnic Nigeria, among others that he talked about, then you are anti-Awolowo.
“So it tells you that all those who are in government now, from President Bola Tinubu to the last person, and those who have been in power in recent times are all anti-Awolowo. It’s not about wearing Awo caps or coming to give lectures; it’s about doing what Awolowo said he wanted to achieve. Do you have any of it now? You don’t. So all of them are anti-Awolowo.”
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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