Former Senator Calls for Honest Elections to Boost Democracy

A former member of the National Assembly, Senator Ayo Arise, has said everyone needs to work together for good governance to secure a bright future for democracy in Nigeria.

Arise said the current state of democracy in Nigeria was not just the work of politicians. It came after years of pressure from citizens, civil society, professionals, scholars, journalists, and others who pushed for democratic rule. He added that this serves as a reminder that democracy belongs to the people.

The All Progressives Congress leader and candidate for the Ekiti North Senatorial District in the 2027 elections spoke at a lecture titled ‘Internal party democracy, good governance, the media and the future of Nigerian democracy’ in Ado Ekiti on Saturday. This was during the 2026 lecture series organized by the Correspondents Chapel of Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ekiti State.

He said, “The future of Nigerian democracy will not be secured by politicians alone. Political parties must reform their internal structures and ensure that party members have genuine opportunities to participate. Electoral institutions must continue to improve the credibility, transparency and efficiency of elections.

“Nigerians are more likely to trust democracy when they believe that their votes matter. Government institutions must also recognize that winning an election is the beginning of responsibility, not the end of political engagement.

“The media must remain independent, professional and courageous. Journalists should be able to investigate matters of public interest while maintaining the standards expected of a profession that carries enormous influence. Citizens also have responsibilities. Democracy requires participation.”

Arise expressed concern that many issues, like godfatherism and money politics, have continued to weaken Nigerian political parties. He said, “Politics should be a contest of ideas, character, competence and public acceptance.

“Citizens must vote, ask questions, reject political violence, resist the temptation to sell their votes and seek information from credible sources. The events surrounding Nigeria’s democratic development have repeatedly shown that citizens possess enormous political power when they choose to exercise it responsibly,” the former federal legislator said.

Arise, who stated that good governance is central to democratic legitimacy, said, “Good governance requires transparency, responsiveness, effective institutions, respect for the rule of law, responsible management of public resources and meaningful participation by citizens.”

He questioned whether politicians who easily gathered crowds during campaigns could be reached again once in office. He said, “Democracy becomes meaningful when the citizen remains important after the votes have been counted. The quality of a political system is ultimately connected to the quality of the people and institutions entrusted with public responsibility.”

Arise emphasized that democracy cannot survive without respect for the rule of law. He urged, “Government institutions must operate within constitutional boundaries, and citizens must have confidence that disputes can be resolved through lawful processes.

“When citizens believe that political influence determines access to justice, confidence in democracy declines. When public institutions are seen as serving only the powerful, ordinary citizens begin to withdraw from the political process. This is why institutions matter. Nigeria does not need democracy to depend permanently on the goodwill of individual politicians. We need institutions strong enough to function regardless of who occupies a particular office.

“Internal party democracy is particularly important because political parties serve as the gateway through which many political leaders enter public office. If democratic principles are absent from political parties, it becomes difficult to expect them to flourish in government. Good governance gives democracy practical meaning.

“Citizens should be able to see the benefits of democratic government in their daily lives. They should feel that public institutions belong to them and that government listens to them. Citizens must accept their part of the responsibility. We cannot demand good democracy while selling our votes. We cannot demand responsible politicians while rewarding political opportunism,” the former federal lawmaker said.