Zainab Abioye
The Nigerian Guild of Editors has called for sweeping electoral reforms, including a constitutional requirement that presidential candidates secure at least 50 per cent of votes cast to win, with a run-off where no candidate meets the threshold.
The Guild also demanded that electoral disputes be concluded within a reasonable period, preferably before the swearing-in of declared winners, in a bid to reduce uncertainty and restore public confidence in the electoral process.
The demands were contained in the communiqué issued at the end of the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference, held in Enugu from September 24 to 26, 2026.
The communiqué was signed by the NGE President, Eze Anaba, and the General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh.
The conference, themed, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” brought together more than 500 editors, publishers and senior media practitioners, alongside political, traditional, religious, academic, regulatory and development-sector stakeholders.
The conference was chaired by the Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, while the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, His Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan, delivered the keynote address.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima participated virtually as the Special Guest of Honour, while the Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah, served as Chief Host.
The editors said Nigeria’s electoral democracy was facing mounting challenges ahead of the 2027 general elections, including voter apathy, electoral insecurity, misinformation, disinformation, artificial intelligence-generated content and declining confidence in the electoral system.
They maintained that although the ballot remained the principal instrument through which citizens exercised their sovereign will, its credibility depended on voters having access to reliable information and confidence that their votes would be properly counted and respected.
The Guild identified poor governance, electoral violence and intimidation, administrative shortcomings and declining trust in the electoral process among factors contributing to voter apathy.
It also expressed concern over growing perceptions that judicial interventions in electoral disputes could ultimately displace outcomes recorded at the polling units.
While stressing the importance of judicial independence, the editors called for electoral adjudication to be timely, transparent, predictable and impartial.
They recommended that genuine electoral irregularities should be addressed through a dispute-resolution mechanism capable of producing final decisions within a defined timeframe.
INEC appointment process
The NGE also called for reforms to the process of appointing the Chairman, National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission.
It extended the call to the appointment of State Electoral Commissioners, insisting that the integrity and independence of electoral management bodies were critical to credible elections.
The Guild further advocated a constitutional framework that would allow independent candidates to contest elections.
It also called for a review of restrictions that make it difficult for ordinary voters to challenge electoral results.
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