Professor Udenta says democracy has failed us and INEC cannot conduct credible elections in 2027

Professor Udenta Udenta, the founding National Secretary of the Alliance for Democracy, has come out to say what many of us have been feeling but were too tired to articulate. In an interview with ARISE NEWS on Friday, he stated clearly that Nigeria's democracy has fallen far short of the ideals that inspired the June 12 struggle. He said our democratic institutions are weaker now than they were 30 years ago. That is a heavy statement from a man who was part of that struggle.

He specifically called out Mahmood Yakubu at INEC, saying he has been curated to serve the ruling party and the president. Professor Udenta insisted that INEC under Yakubu cannot conduct a credible election in 2027. He said leaders of thought across Nigeria have asked Yakubu to resign but he remains in office. On the issue of President Tinubu's June 12 Democracy Day speech, he described it as rhetorically strong but completely disconnected from the lived realities of Nigerians. He said Tinubu will not run on his speech in 2027, he will run on his record.

The most troubling part for me was his warning about state capture. He said the National Assembly exists in name only, that INEC is already captured, and that the judiciary is compromised. He mentioned lawfare against opposition parties like PDP, SDP, and ADC. When a seasoned political analyst with Professor Udenta's credentials says these things, it is not just noise. The question is, what do we do with this information between now and 2027?