By Luminous Jannamike

ABUJA – Experts in policy, activism, and leadership have called for a grassroots-driven democratic renewal in Nigeria, stressing that citizens must take ownership of the country’s political future.

This clarion call was made at the Democracy Day Town Hall organized by Mandate4, a gathering convened to reflect on the state of Nigerian democracy and chart a path toward genuine reform.

The event, held to mark the anniversary of Nigeria’s historic June 12, 1993 elections, widely regarded as the freest and fairest in the nation’s history, featured prominent voices including Dr. Oby Ezekwesili, founder of FixPolitics; Aisha Yesufu, renowned activist; and Alero Ayida-Otobo, CEO of SPPG Africa.

Other speakers included Peter Akah, a civic advocate, and Seun Onigbinde, Co-founder of BudgIT, who collectively underscored the urgency of addressing Nigeria’s democratic stagnation.

In her keynote address, Dr. Ezekwesili challenged the celebratory tone often associated with Democracy Day, introducing the concept of ‘monopoly democracy,’ where political power is captured by an elite few, silencing citizens and eliminating competition.

“We cannot continue to accept a system that excludes the majority and serves only the interests of a privileged few,” she asserted.

Peter Akah, in an impassioned speech, linked Nigeria’s deepening insecurity and economic hardship to systemic corruption and electoral malpractice.

“Anger is valid, but it is not a strategy,” he said, emphasizing the need for electoral reforms, particularly the electronic transmission of results, to restore public trust in the democratic process.

Aisha Yesufu called on Nigerians to reject money politics and support candidates with competence, character, and capacity.

“We must stop selling our votes and start demanding accountability from those we elect,” she urged, decrying vote-buying and political apathy.

Alero Ayida-Otobo warned that Nigeria is in a downward spiral, marked by mass poverty, stalled development, and leadership failure.

“To change Nigeria’s story, we don’t just need policies; we need a new class of value-driven leaders,” she stated, highlighting the entrenched leadership crisis in the country.

Seun Onigbinde identified key democratic pillars that require urgent attention: electoral competitiveness, civil dialogue, human rights protection, and sustainable development.

“If we’re going to fix Nigeria, we must fix the democratic foundations first,” he said.

Century Favour, founder of Mandate4 and convener of the Town Hall, unveiled a multi-pronged citizen-led strategy to reform Nigeria’s political system.

His approach includes dismantling money politics, reclaiming INEC and the judiciary with principled actors, and mobilizing issue-based voting blocs around electoral reform, budget accountability, gender inclusion, and state restructuring.

He also introduced ‘Citizens United,’ a civic technology platform designed to equip Nigerians with tools to track leaders, engage with policy, monitor elections, and organize grassroots action.

The June 12 Democracy Day Town Hall reasserted that Nigeria’s democratic renewal must come from the ground up, with citizens reclaiming power, rewriting the rules, and refusing to wait for permission to lead.

Mandate4, a nation-building non-profit, continues its mission to elevate the quality of politics, strengthen democracy, and ensure good governance outcomes for Africa’s 1.2 billion people.