🇳🇬 As Nigeria Heads to the Polls, Calls Grow for Electoral Credibility, Justice, and National Healing
By Exponent News| October 18, 2025
As Nigeria prepares for another critical election season, civil society leaders, faith-based actors, and legal minds are calling for more than just ballots—they are demanding credible elections, genuine justice, and national healing.
In a national broadcast aired on October 18, prominent voices from legal, religious, and civic spheres emphasized the urgent need for electoral reforms, public trust in INEC, and a deeper commitment to unity across ethnic and religious divides. The message: without restoring faith in Nigeria’s democratic institutions, especially the electoral commission, peace and progress remain elusive.
📌 INEC Must Work to Regain Trust
Speaking on the credibility of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), commentators expressed frustration over what they described as a deteriorating public perception of the body.
“INEC should work hard for us to have confidence,” said a participant. “People should be able to say, ‘this is who is going to win the election’ and feel their vote counts.”
The reference to past glitches, such as the failure to upload presidential results while national assembly results were successfully transmitted, continues to undermine trust.
Comparisons were drawn with other African nations like Ghana and South Africa, where electoral commissions command a higher degree of public confidence. The call is clear: INEC must not only be impartial but also be seen to be competent and transparent.
🔎 As Nigeria Heads to the Polls, Calls Grow for Electoral Credibility, Justice, and National Healing Without Justice Is Incomplete
In a shift from political commentary to national healing, Reverend Joseph Hayab, a peace advocate, urged Nigerians to embrace forgiveness—but not in the absence of accountability.
“Forgiveness comes from truth. If someone burns your house and you’re asked not to call him a thief… anger develops,” Hayab stated. “There can’t be real peace if we deny the pain of others.”
Hayab recalled interfaith reconciliation efforts in Kaduna after violent religious clashes, where open apologies and accountability among Christian and Muslim leaders led to nearly a decade of peace.
The message, rooted in faith and practical experience, was unmistakable: Nigeria’s path to unity is built on honest dialogue and mutual respect—not just platitudes or superficial peace accords.
⚖️ Presidential Pardons Spark Concern Over Justice System
Barrister Ezeala weighed in on recent presidential pardons, warning of their implications for justice and rule of law.
“Pardons granted to drug convicts and kidnappers without clear justification only serve one leg of justice—the accused,” he argued. “What about justice for the victims and the state?”
Citing the constitutional role of the Prerogative of Mercy, he emphasized that such powers must not be used arbitrarily. “When you pardon those who’ve caused pain without addressing the victims’ grievances, you delegitimize justice.”
🌍 A National Moment of Reckoning
As Nigeria stands at a political crossroads, this national discourse reveals a deeper societal yearning—for systems that work, for leaders who listen, and for unity that is grounded in truth, not just tolerance.
With a new INEC chairman in place and the next general elections fast approaching, Nigerians are asking tough questions: Will this election be different? Will their votes finally count? Will justice be served to all, or only to the powerful?
🇳🇬 The stakes are high. Not just for who gets elected—but for the soul of the nation itself.
