2027: Wabara Intensifies Advocacy for Credible Poll, Enlists Diaspora Nigerians to Join Campaign

Emmanuel Ugwu-Nwogo in EnuguFormer Senate President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees (BoT) of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Adolphus Wabara, has intensified his advocacy on the need for 2027 general elections to be free, fair and credible.He has taken his campaigns to the United States where he teamed up with the former Action Congress (AC) vice-presidential candidate, Senator Ben Obi, to enlist Nigerians in diaspora to join hands in countering looming threats to Nigeria’s democracy.Wabara made known their mission in a phone chat, saying that concerted efforts were needed to safeguard Nigeria’s fledgling democratic rule given dangerous signals that could mar the forthcoming 2027 poll.As part of the efforts to build a formidable coalition against anti-democratic elements in Nigeria, Wabara and his team held “high-level consultations” with Nigerians in the diaspora in a bid to adopt a common strategy to achieve the stated goal.He said that the consultations, which cut across party lines, were aimed at mobilising progressive Nigerians at home and abroad “to defend the country’s democratic institutions, preserve political pluralism and resist any attempt to undermine the nation’s multi-party system.”According to him, the ongoing meetings with Nigerians in the diaspora and “some officials”, centred on the growing concerns over the state of Nigeria’s democracy, the shrinking democratic space and the urgent need for patriotic forces to unite in defence of constitutional governance.He said that participants expressed grave concern over the undisguised attempts to suffocate opposition parties, the erosion of public confidence in the neutrality of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the danger of weakening Nigeria’s democratic foundations.“The common objective of these consultations is to rescue Nigeria from state capture, free up the democratic space and ensure that the will of the people, not the will of a few powerful individuals, prevails in 2027,” he said.The former number one federal lawmaker described the consultations as “very fruitful”, adding that a broad national consensus would emerge on how to extricate Nigeria from “state capture” and restore confidence in the electoral process.He expressed alarm over the state of health of Nigeria’s democracy, saying that its present condition is the most critical since the return to civil rule in 1999, hence it needed special care to survive the effects of deadly blows from anti-democratic forces.He said, “Our democracy is currently in the ICU (intensive care unit as in health facility). Unless urgent and sincere efforts are made to strengthen our democratic institutions and guarantee credible elections, the future of our nation could be endangered.“What we have in Nigeria today is a distorted version of democracy. This is not the democracy our founding fathers fought and made enormous sacrifices to bequeath to us. And we cannot afford to stand by and watch a few greedy political merchants hold the destiny of over 200 million Nigerians by the jugular.”Wabara, therefore, made a rallying cry to arouse Nigerians to subsume primordial interests and leanings and join in the ongoing efforts to preserve Nigeria’s democracy and make it strong enough to withstand any assault.“It is time for all patriotic and progressive Nigerians,” he cried, “to rise above partisan interests and unite to defend democracy, protect our constitutional order, and ensure that the will of the people prevails through free, fair and credible elections in 2027.”Wabara stressed the need to build strong consensus not cracks among opposition in order to defeat the raging anti-democratic agents and thwart their ominous design for Nigeria.He called on opposition parties, civil society organisations, professional groups, youth and women organisations, and all progressive Nigerians to put national interest above partisan considerations and forge a united front in defence of democracy.He reminded all well-meaning Nigerians that “this is not the time for political divisions or narrow party interests. Every patriotic Nigerian who believes in democracy must come together to protect our constitutional order and ensure that the 2027 elections are free, fair, transparent and acceptable to the Nigerian people”.Wabara also urged all eligible Nigerians yet to obtain their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) to take advantage of the ongoing voter registration before the July 10 deadline, stressing that active citizen participation remains the strongest safeguard against electoral manipulation.He said that since “democracy belongs to the people, this is not a time to be spectators” and sit in the fence.“Every eligible Nigerian must register, collect a voter’s card and be prepared to participate actively in determining the future of our country,” he stated.The party stalwart spoke on his overseas itinerary in recent times, saying that he had arrived in New Jersey on Sunday to visit Senator Ben Obi and congratulate him and his son, Ejike, on the birth of his grandson, Ben Obi Jnr.“We seized the opportunity to deliberate extensively on the political situation in Nigeria, the imperative of defending democracy, and the way forward”. Thereafter the two politicians commenced engagements “with some officials and concerned Nigerians”.Wabara has remained consistent in his advocacy for constitutional democracy, political tolerance, the rule of law and the need to build strong democratic institutions in Nigeria.He has been at the forefront among the leading voices calling for electoral reforms, institutional independence and inclusive governance as Nigeria prepares for the crucial 2027 general elections.Wabara’s latest consultations in the US came on the heels of similar high-level engagements he held in London penultimate week during a visit to former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Bode George, who was recuperating after undergoing surgery.Aside wishing the party stalwart a speedy recovery, Wabara noted that the visit also provided an opportunity for “extensive discussions on the state of Nigeria’s democracy, the future of the opposition, and the imperative of building a broad coalition to safeguard democratic governance ahead of the 2027 general elections”.

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