A constitutional lawyer and former National Commissioner for Information and Voter Education at the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr Festus Okoye, and a cleric, Dr Cosmas Ilechukwu, have urged Nigerians to embrace active citizenship, integrity and accountability ahead of the 2027 general elections.
They made the call at a national dialogue on “The Change We Need: From Voters to Nation Builders, Making Citizenship Count Beyond the Ballot in Nigeria”, organised by The Change We Need Nigeria Initiative (TCWNNI) in Abuja on Friday.
In his keynote address, Okoye said nation-building was a collective responsibility that required citizens to participate actively in democratic processes, protect their votes, monitor government policies and hold public officials accountable.
Okoye, who is the Executive Director of Human Rights Monitor, advocated a more engaged citizenry, arguing that sustainable change could be achieved through consistent participation, lawful advocacy and collective action.
He warned against vote-buying, saying the practice weakened democracy and allowed political actors to undermine the people’s mandate.
The former INEC commissioner urged citizens to reject electoral inducements and remain vigilant before, during and after elections. He added that competence, accountability and the ability to deliver public services should take precedence over religious and ethnic affiliations.
Okoye also said citizens had a responsibility to monitor government budgets, track constituency projects and assess whether public funds were being used for their intended purposes.
He called on government institutions to create meaningful channels for public participation, stressing that public service and the provision of essential infrastructure were constitutional responsibilities rather than acts of charity.
Earlier, Ilechukwu, General Overseer of Charismatic Renewal Ministries and Deputy President of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria (PFN), said Nigeria’s transformation required shared responsibility between the government and citizens.
Speaking virtually in his opening remarks, he said the country could not overcome corruption, poor leadership and failing institutions without a corresponding commitment to personal and public integrity.
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Ilechukwu, who is also the convener of The Change We Need Nigeria Initiative, challenged Nigerians to reflect on the kind of citizens they were becoming.
He argued that national development depended not only on those occupying political offices but also on the character and conduct of people in workplaces, markets, schools, religious institutions and homes.
According to him, citizens must move beyond asking what the government can provide and begin considering what they can contribute to the country’s development.
He added that the change Nigeria needed was moral, cultural, spiritual and generational, urging citizens to reject practices that undermined national progress.
In his welcome address, the National Director of TCWNNI, Dr Gabriel Baba, said the dialogue was designed to encourage Nigerians to look beyond elections and examine the responsibilities required to build the country they desired.
He said voting remained essential to democracy but emphasised that citizenship also required integrity, respect for the rule of law, accountability, productive engagement and commitment to the common good.
Baba called for stronger partnerships among faith communities, civil society organisations, government institutions and other stakeholders to advance national development.