The Young Progressives Party (YPP) has urged Nigerians to maintain confidence in the democratic process ahead of the 2027 general elections, despite frustrations from past electoral experiences.
The call was made in a New Year message released on Wednesday in Abuja by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Egbeola Martins.
Public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system sharply declined after the 2023 general elections, which were marred by technical glitches, including the failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal to upload polling unit results in real time. The disruptions triggered protests, legal challenges, and allegations of manipulation, reinforcing calls for comprehensive electoral reforms.
Martins appealed to Nigerians to intensify civic engagement, stressing that previous electoral setbacks should not lead to apathy or silence in the face of poor governance.
He said, “Though the journey has been difficult and often discouraging, surrendering our sovereignty must never translate into docility or silence in the face of bad governance. The YPP calls on Nigerians not to be discouraged by the experiences of previous elections. Rather, citizens must mobilise like never before in this penultimate election year to reclaim their power at the ballot in 2027 and vote out incompetent, corrupt and insensitive leadership. The future of our democracy depends on active participation, not apathy.”
The party also urged Nigerians to demand accountability from public officeholders, particularly with fiscal reforms expected to increase government revenue.
“Nigerians must begin to ask critical questions, demand answers, and closely scrutinise public spending, especially with the advent of the new tax law, which is expected to widen the tax net and significantly increase government revenue. Democracy thrives when citizens remain vigilant and hold leaders accountable. Increased revenue without transparency, accountability and prudence will only deepen public mistrust and hardship,” Martins stated.
He further warned against the politicisation of anti-graft agencies, insisting that selective justice undermines democracy and weakens public institutions.
“We strongly warn against the weaponisation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and other anti-corruption agencies against political opponents. The fight against corruption must be sincere, impartial and devoid of political bias. Selective justice weakens institutions and erodes public confidence in governance,” he said.
On the newly introduced tax law, Martins said Nigeria’s fiscal challenges stemmed more from poor expenditure management than revenue shortages. He criticised what he described as extravagant spending by public officials and called for accountability before full implementation of the law.
“Nigeria’s major challenge has never been revenue generation but the reckless, wasteful and opaque expenditure of public funds. Nigerians are not opposed to paying taxes; rather, they are deeply concerned about the lack of transparency, probity and discipline in the management of our commonwealth.
“It is unacceptable for taxpayers’ money to be used to fund religious pilgrimages, purchase private jets and yachts, procure luxury SUVs for members of the National Assembly, and sustain the looting and frivolous lifestyle of a reckless political elite.
“We therefore call on the government to urgently resolve all discrepancies associated with the new tax law before implementation. More importantly, those responsible for the discrepancies must be thoroughly investigated, apprehended and punished in accordance with the law,” he urged.
