Nigeria’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammad Idris has called for grassroots mobilisation against voter apathy, vote-buying, electoral violence and fake news ahead of the 2027 general election.
He stressed the need for collaborative efforts to promote peaceful participation, responsible voting and the protection of the country’s democratic institutions.
The Information Minister stated this during the flag-off of the nationwide grassroots mobilisation campaign for the 2027 general elections, organised by the National Orientation Agency (NOA), with the theme: “Your Vote, Your Voice, Your Future: Say No to Apathy, Vote-Buying and Violence; Let’s Build a United Nigeria.”
Protect Democracy
The Minister stressed that every eligible citizen has a responsibility to protect democracy and help shape the country’s future through peaceful participation.
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“An election is more than a day at the polling unit. It is an opportunity for citizens to decide who represents them and to influence the direction of their communities and country. When eligible voters stay away, sell their votes or resort to violence, the entire democratic process suffers,” he said.
The Minister noted that the Nigerian Government, under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda is committed to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic process.
“President Tinubu signed the Electoral Act 2026 into law, introducing important reforms aimed at improving transparency, accountability and public confidence in the electoral process,” Idris said.
The Minister commended NOA Director-General Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu and the Agency’s staff for the initiative, urging them to sustain public engagement nationwide.
“Campaign’s success depends on cooperation among government institutions, electoral authorities, security agencies, community leaders, and citizens,” he said.
The minister further emphasised the importance of media responsibility, insisting that press freedom must be accompanied by professional conduct and the verification of information before publication or dissemination.
“Media freedom and responsibility must come together; they are not mutually exclusive,” he said.
He added that the Federal Government, through the Ministry of Information and National Orientation and its agencies, would collaborate with NOA, INEC and other relevant institutions to support voter education and peaceful electoral participation.
Also speaking, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, who was represented by the Force Public Relations Officer, Anietie Iniedu, reaffirmed the Nigeria Police Force’s commitment to providing a safe and secure environment for the 2027 general elections.
The Inspector-General of Police, commended the NOA for initiating the grassroots mobilisation campaign, describing it as timely and necessary for strengthening democratic participation.
“As the principal internal security agency, the Nigeria Police Force is committed to providing a safe, secure and seamless environment for Nigerians to exercise their constitutional right to vote,” he said.
He assured Nigerians that the police would work closely with INEC, sister security agencies and other stakeholders through intelligence-sharing, inter-agency collaboration and professional policing.
The police spokesperson urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to embrace issue-based campaigns, tolerance and respect for the rule of law. He warned against public intimidation, vote-buying, ballot snatching, destruction of electoral materials and other acts capable of undermining the electoral process.
The Inspector General of Police further cautioned young Nigerians, against allowing themselves to be used as instruments of political violence.
“Your future is more valuable than any temporary political inducement. I am urging eligible voters to reject apathy and participate peacefully in the elections, I’m assuring that the police would remain professional and impartial while confronting criminal elements seeking to disrupt the process. Let us collectively ensure that in 2027, the ballot defeats the bullet, ideas defeat intimidation, and democracy defeats violence,” he said
Also speaking at the event, the National Chairman of the Nationalist Movement of Nigeria, Chinedu Obi, who represented the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), said the 2027 general elections represented a defining moment for the country’s democratic development.
He commended the NOA for promoting civic responsibility and voter education, noting that grassroots mobilisation was essential to ensuring that citizens, particularly women, young people and rural residents, participated meaningfully in the electoral process.
He described elections as a fundamental feature of democracy, stressing that participation went beyond casting ballots to include civic education, informed decision-making and peaceful conduct before, during and after the polls.
The IPAC representative lamented the prevalence of vote-buying and transactional politics, which he said had contributed to voter apathy, electoral violence and the emergence of ineffective leadership.
“For a long time, some of our people do mortgage their future to just a mess of electoral porridge called vote-buying. Our politics has become transactional instead of transformational,” Obi said.
He reaffirmed IPAC’s commitment to working with the NOA and other stakeholders to address voter apathy, vote trading, political intimidation and violence.
Obi also called on INEC to justify the confidence Nigerians had placed in the commission by conducting free, fair, credible, transparent and inclusive elections.
“Every vote must count, and the outcome must reflect the will of the people of Nigeria, in whose sovereignty it is. The Electoral Umpire needs to provide a level playing field for all political parties and candidates. Political actors should also prioritise issue-based campaigns over bitterness and divisive rhetoric,” he said.
According to him, peaceful political participation, respect for the electorate’s mandate and the promotion of democratic values remain essential to national development.
“Nation-building is a collective responsibility, all stakeholders should strengthen voter education, promote peaceful participation and respect the outcome of credible elections,” he explained.
The nationwide mobilisation campaign is expected to intensify public awareness and civic engagement at the grassroots as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections.
