The Nigerian Democratic Congress (NDC) senatorial candidate for Lagos Central, Bamofin Ladipo Johnson, has warned that low voter turnout could make the 2027 general elections more vulnerable to manipulation, urging Nigerians to come out in large numbers and ensure their votes count.
Johnson said this at the 37th anniversary celebration of God First Ministry International in Lekki, Lagos, where he also called for greater citizen participation in governance and a more empathetic approach to tackling the country’s security and economic challenges.
According to him, Nigerians should not stay away from the electoral process because of the belief that their votes would not count.
He said a large turnout would make it more difficult for electoral malpractice to take place, while voter apathy could have the opposite effect.
‘I have always said to people that notwithstanding what you have been told or what you believe about what’s going on in this country, you have to do something about it.
‘Do your own part. Play your part. Go out. Vote. And do your best to make sure that your vote counts,’ Johnson said.
He added: ‘If there is a large turnout of voters, the election will be more difficult to rig or to be influenced adversely.
But if people stay at home, thinking and feeling that their votes do not count, then their not voting will count the other way. It’s as simple as that.’
The NDC candidate said the party would spend the months leading to the 2027 elections presenting its programmes to Nigerians and seeking their mandate to bring what he described as positive change to the country.
He said the outcome of the election would ultimately depend on the willingness of citizens to participate in the democratic process.
Johnson also criticised what he described as the growing disconnect between government and citizens, particularly over insecurity and the state of the economy.
He said although government spending on defence had increased over the years, Nigerians were yet to see a corresponding improvement in their security situation.
‘We know we have problems. We know that the government has increased over the years spending on defence, amongst other things. Yet, the people in the country cannot seem to marry both.
‘They say, okay, we’re spending more, we’re not getting something better,’ he said.
Johnson argued that tackling insecurity required more than increased funding for security agencies, stressing the importance of rebuilding public trust in government and security institutions.
He said citizens would be more willing to provide useful security information when they believed that government genuinely cared about their welfare.
‘You need the cooperation of the average citizen to get your plan or your various plans regarding improving the insecurity or the security situation,’ he said.
‘If the citizens do not believe that you care, if the citizens do not trust you or do not trust, for one reason or the other, the police or the military, then you would not get the information you require to snuff out little problems before they become big problems.’
On the economy, Johnson said there was a growing gap between official claims that economic conditions were improving and the experiences of Nigerians who were facing rising prices and other hardships.
He said some of his contacts in government had questioned whether his criticism of the administration was simply opposition politics.
Johnson, however, maintained that Nigerians on the streets could provide a clearer picture of the economic situation.
‘I have people who are in the government who are friends, who will call me and say, but really, aren’t you just speaking as opposition? Is this really true? I say, you don’t know it’s true. But go and talk to the people on the streets. You’ll see that it’s true,’ he said.
The senatorial candidate also called for a more compassionate style of governance, saying government officials must demonstrate empathy when responding to citizens affected by insecurity, poverty and other crises.
According to him, citizens cannot be expected to fully cooperate with a government they believe does not understand or care about their difficulties.
He cited an incident involving the President’s reported visit to a state affected by insecurity, saying the manner in which government officials engage with victims matters in building public confidence.
‘It isn’t good. You need the cooperation of Nigerians. You need the cooperation of the average citizen,’ he said.
Johnson further said the country’s high level of religiosity should translate into practical action and responsible citizenship.
Speaking on the theme of the anniversary, ‘Jesus, The Desire of All Nations,’ he said religious faith should encourage Nigerians to show empathy, support one another and contribute to the development of their communities.
He noted that despite Nigeria being a deeply religious and prayerful country, the country continued to grapple with insecurity, inflation, unemployment and drug abuse, particularly among young people.
‘We are one of the countries with the most prayerful people, yet we see where we are with insecurity, rising inflation, unemployment and the drug problem, especially with a lot of our younger ones.
‘These are not things that are indicative of a prayerful people. So we all have a lot of work to do towards improving that situation,’ he said.
Johnson also alleged that the removal and covering of his campaign banners was inconsistent with democratic principles.
‘Democracy for us is not when I had my banners being taken down and being removed and covered the other day. We don’t want to start to whine, but that is not democracy,’ he said.
He urged Nigerians of different religious backgrounds to combine their faith with civic responsibility, particularly by participating in elections and holding elected officials accountable.
Johnson said the responsibility for determining the country’s political future ultimately rested with the electorate, urging citizens not to surrender their influence by refusing to vote.