NEWS
INEC Seeks Oba Akiolu, Lagos Traditional Council’s Support for Peaceful 2027 Elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has intensified its preparations for the 2027 general elections by seeking the partnership of traditional institutions in promoting peace, voter participation and responsible political engagement across the country.
As part of the effort, the commission has enlisted the support of the Oba of Lagos, Oba Rilwan Babatunde Osuolale Aremu Akiolu, and the Lagos Traditional Council, urging them to deploy their influence to encourage citizens to participate actively in the electoral process and help prevent election-related violence.
The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the appeal on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to Oba Akiolu at the Iga Idunganran Palace in Lagos Island.
The engagement formed part of activities marking the conclusion of INEC’s South-West Zonal Readiness Assessment and Staff Interactive Session, providing the commission with an opportunity to strengthen its relationship with one of the country’s most influential traditional institutions ahead of the 2027 elections.
Amupitan explained that while INEC was responsible for organising elections, ensuring a peaceful and credible electoral process required the collective efforts of several stakeholders, including traditional rulers, political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations and citizens.
He formally asked Oba Akiolu and the Lagos Traditional Council to partner with the commission in protecting peace before, during and after the elections.
“We are here today to formally enlist Your Royal Majesty and the Lagos Traditional Council as powerful partners in keeping the peace and safeguarding our democracy,” he said.
The INEC chairman stressed that elections should be viewed as an opportunity for citizens to freely choose their leaders rather than as a trigger for political confrontation and violence.
“Elections are civic celebrations of free choice, not contests of conflict or violence.”
According to him, INEC was continuing to strengthen the electoral process through technology and other institutional reforms, but technological improvements alone could not guarantee credible elections without active participation and cooperation from citizens and community institutions.
“Technology alone cannot build a democracy; people do,” he said.
He therefore urged the Lagos monarch to use his traditional authority and extensive influence to mobilise eligible residents to take a greater interest in the electoral process, complete their voter registration where necessary and collect their Permanent Voter Cards.
Amupitan said increased voter participation would be critical to strengthening the legitimacy and credibility of the 2027 elections, particularly as Nigeria’s voter population continues to expand.
He disclosed that the National Register of Voters was approaching the 100 million mark, underscoring the enormous logistical and organisational responsibility facing the commission.
With elections expected to take place across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, Amupitan said INEC’s preparations must go beyond technical and operational readiness to include broad-based support from influential institutions within communities.
“not just technical readiness from INEC, but the total cooperation, peace, and moral support of our most revered traditional institutions.”
The INEC chairman described traditional rulers as enduring institutions whose influence remains in communities long after political parties, elected officials and electoral bodies have changed.
“Political parties and electoral commissions come and go, but the traditional institution remains the permanent anchor of our communities,” he said.
He noted that traditional rulers were uniquely positioned to intervene when political disagreements threatened to escalate, particularly because their authority often cuts across political party lines.
Against this backdrop, Amupitan appealed to Oba Akiolu to engage politicians across party affiliations as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.
He urged political actors to make campaigns about competing ideas, policies and development plans rather than personal attacks and inflammatory rhetoric.
“We urge you, as a father to all politicians regardless of their party affiliations, to counsel them to focus on issues rather than insults. Let them debate policies, not personalities,” he said.
INEC’s Three Key Requests:
During the meeting, the INEC chairman outlined three major areas where he sought the intervention and support of the Lagos traditional institution.
The first was for the royal blessing and support of the monarch for INEC officials, staff and ad-hoc personnel who will be deployed for election-related duties.
The second was for traditional rulers to use their influence to encourage eligible Nigerians to register as voters and ensure that those already registered collect their PVCs and are prepared to participate in the elections.
The third was for the traditional institution to continue promoting peace among community leaders, political actors, youth organisations, market associations and other groups that could influence the conduct of the elections.
The commission has consistently maintained that credible elections cannot be achieved by INEC alone and that the cooperation of stakeholders across the political, security, traditional and civil society sectors will be essential to the success of the 2027 exercise.
Oba Akiolu Advocates Issue-Based Campaigns:
Responding to the INEC chairman, Oba Akiolu welcomed the commission’s request for traditional institutions to play a more active role in ensuring peaceful and credible elections.
The monarch called for a fundamental change in the way political campaigns are conducted, urging politicians to prioritise programmes capable of improving the lives of citizens rather than relying on temporary political inducements.
“Politicians must move away from the culture of short-term patronage and focus on genuine capacity building, teaching our people how to fish rather than giving them fish,” he said.
Oba Akiolu also cautioned politicians against hate speech, inflammatory comments and other forms of rhetoric capable of deepening divisions within society during the campaign period.
“Campaigning must remain strictly issue-based, free from hate speech and inflammatory rhetoric.”
He maintained that Nigerians should assess political candidates based on their programmes, policies, competence and capacity to deliver, rather than on their ability to disparage political opponents.
The Lagos monarch also expressed concern about what he described as indiscipline among some young Nigerians, stressing that traditional rulers had an important responsibility to guide their communities and encourage responsible citizenship.
He particularly called on royal fathers to mobilise young people to participate constructively in the electoral process and exercise their constitutional rights.
“As Royal Fathers, it is our solemn duty to guide our communities and inspire citizens to turn out in large numbers to exercise their democratic franchise,” he said.
Monarch Urges INEC to Maintain Integrity:
Beyond calling on citizens and politicians to play their part, Oba Akiolu also charged the electoral commission to uphold the principles of impartiality, transparency and integrity throughout the 2027 electoral process.
He urged Amupitan and the National Commissioners to remain committed to INEC’s constitutional responsibilities and resist any pressure capable of undermining public confidence in the electoral system.
“I appeal to the Chairman and National Commissioners to remain unwavering, honest, and steadfast in your sacred trust,” he said.
The monarch further called on the Federal Government to provide INEC with adequate and timely funding, arguing that the commission’s ability to deliver credible elections would depend significantly on the availability of sufficient financial and logistical resources.
He urged the government “to ensure full and timely funding for elections, equipping INEC with every resource required to execute its constitutional mandate flawlessly.”
The engagement between INEC and the Lagos traditional institution comes as political activities gradually intensify ahead of the 2027 general elections, with the commission seeking to build stronger partnerships capable of promoting peaceful participation and public confidence.
With Nigeria’s voter register approaching 100 million and the scale of the forthcoming elections expected to be substantial, the commission’s outreach to traditional rulers highlights the growing emphasis on community-level mobilisation, peaceful political engagem
ent and citizen participation as critical components of the 2027 electoral process.