From Jude Chinedu, Enugu
As political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general election, a pro-democracy activist, Prof Udenta O. Udenta, has proposed a Sovereign Commission for Democratic Sustainability and National Stability to prevent electoral contests from plunging Nigeria into crisis.
Udenta, founding National Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy (AD), said Nigeria must look beyond who wins the presidency in 2027 and prioritise national unity, democratic stability and the survival of its institutions.
He also proposed an 18-month Government of National Unity after the election, alongside reforms to reduce the winner-takes-all character of presidential politics.
The professor, who declared his support for former Anambra State governor Peter Obi, said his proposed initiative would accommodate supporters of President Bola Tinubu, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde and other presidential contenders.
He argued that political differences must not be allowed to threaten the country’s stability, insisting that Nigeria’s future was more important than the ambitions of individual politicians.
“Elections cannot, by themselves, build trust or guarantee stability,” he said, raising the question of what becomes of the nation after the announcement of election results.
The proposed commission would bring together the sitting president, if seeking re-election, the newly elected president, all certified presidential candidates, national leaders and chairmen of political parties, organised labour, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and civil society groups.
Udenta said the initiative would provide a practical platform for dialogue and democratic reforms, rather than another committee whose recommendations end up gathering dust.
He urged political parties and their presidential candidates to make seven pre-election commitments, including participating in the commission irrespective of the election outcome.
Among his proposals are a commitment by the election winner to convene the commission, establish an 18-month Government of National Unity based on competence, and pursue reforms that would make governance more inclusive.
He also called for legislation to provide audited public funding for eligible political parties, proportional executive representation, a national dialogue on an Afrocentric democratic model and the restoration of cabinet-level special advisers on inter-party matters and civil society relations.
Citing Germany, Sweden, South Africa, Kenya, Malawi and Tanzania, Udenta argued that transparent public funding would reduce political parties’ dependence on wealthy individuals and strengthen opposition parties between elections.
He proposed that presidential candidates jointly call for calm and urge aggrieved parties to pursue lawful channels within 72 hours of the declaration of results. The commission, he said, should hold its first meeting within 30 days and publish recommendations within 100 days, with the President required to respond publicly.
Warning against equating stability with the suppression of dissent, Udenta said: “A stable country is not one in which citizens are afraid to speak.”
He called for stronger federating units and subnational institutions to reduce the concentration of power at the centre, while urging Nigerians to demand accountability from political aspirants before they assume office.
“My generation has seen military rule, democratic transitions and the rise and decline of political parties,” he said. “We have learned that no individual is indispensable. Nigeria is.”
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