Chief Engr. Martin Onovo, the former presidential candidate of the now-defunct National Conscience Party (NCP) in the 2015 election, has expressed deep skepticism about the prospects of a free and fair electoral process in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
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According to Onovo, Nigeria is far from practising a true democratic system, describing the current governance as a form of “maximum civilian dictatorship.”
Onovo’s disillusionment stems from his assessment of recent elections, particularly the 2024 gubernatorial election in Edo State.
He described the exercise as a “charade” orchestrated by the ruling party to subvert the principles of democracy, such as the rule of law and electoral integrity.
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“What happened in Edo cannot be called an election. There is no democracy in Nigeria. The two foundational elements of democracy—rule of law and electoral integrity—are currently missing in the country. We are witnessing what is best described as maximum civilian dictatorship,” Onovo stated.
He argued that the Edo gubernatorial election was not an isolated incident, citing what he called the “Coup d’état disguised as presidential elections in 2023” and similar scenarios in Imo and Kogi States as signs of a consistent pattern. According to him, these examples illustrate the prevalence of “criminal brigandage and impunity.”
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Onovo was particularly critical of President Bola Tinubu’s involvement, accusing him of interfering in the Edo elections.
He noted that Tinubu openly declared that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would secure Edo State, and subsequently employed the resources of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police to ensure this outcome.
“Tinubu promised Edo State to the APC and followed through with that promise, manipulating INEC and law enforcement to ensure the result went in his favor,” Onovo claimed.
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Onovo also pointed to several alleged electoral irregularities, asserting that INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu and the Edo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), who he identified as a relative of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, were instrumental in the manipulation of results.
He mentioned instances where the number of votes recorded surpassed the number of accredited voters in certain constituencies, raising questions about the authenticity of the outcome.
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“The collation process was hijacked, party agents were excluded, and results were forged. The police, who should have been neutral, instead arrested opposition supporters and provided cover for electoral fraud,” he said.
Furthermore, Onovo emphasized that the results announced by INEC were at odds with those published on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV), questioning the credibility of the final tally.
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“There is a stark difference between the declared results and the authentic data visible on IREV. It’s an outright mockery of democracy,” Onovo concluded, lamenting what he described as the disintegration of Nigeria’s democratic values.
