Mandate4 Hosts Groundbreaking June 12 Democracy Day Town Hall

In a powerful gathering of civic voices, Mandate4 convened a transformative Democracy Day Town Hall on June 12 to reflect on the state of Nigerian democracy and forge a path toward genuine democratic renewal.

Held to mark the anniversary of the historic June 12, 1993 elections, widely regarded as Nigeria’s freest and fairest, the event brought together political reformers, policy experts, youth leaders, and everyday citizens to reimagine the future of democratic governance.

Delivering the keynote address, Dr. Obiageli ‘Oby’ Ezekwesili, founder of FixPolitics, challenged the celebratory tone often associated with Democracy Day. Instead, she called attention to widespread disillusionment and democratic stagnation. She introduced the concept of “monopoly democracy,” a system where political power is captured by an elite few, eliminating competition and silencing citizens.

In his impassioned speech, civic advocate Peter Akah emphasized that anger, while valid, is not a strategy. He linked Nigeria’s deepening insecurity and economic hardship to systemic corruption and electoral malpractice, underscoring the urgent need for electoral reforms, particularly the electronic transmission of results.

Renowned activist Aisha Yesufu called on Nigerians to reject money politics and support candidates with competence, character, and capacity. She decried vote-buying and political apathy, urging citizens to fund credible candidates and demand real accountability beyond elections.

She urged Nigerians to reclaim their democracy through conscious, sustained participation in the political process. 

Alero Ayida-Otobo, CEO of SPPG Africa, warned that Nigeria is in a downward spiral, marked by mass poverty, stalled development, and leadership failure.

She called attention to the entrenched leadership crisis in Nigeria, pointing out that many in positions of authority approach governance as a means of personal gain, not public service.

“To change Nigeria’s story, we don’t just need policies,  we need a new class of value-driven leaders” she said.

Seun Onigbinde, Co-founder of BudgIT, identified key democratic pillars that require urgent attention: electoral competitiveness, civil dialogue, human rights protection, and sustainable development.

“If we’re going to fix Nigeria, we must fix the democratic foundations first,” he said.

Founder of Mandate4 and convener of the Town Hall, Century Favour, stressed the need to shift toward strategic, long-term action. He challenged widespread political disillusionment and affirms that no politician or savior will fix Nigeria, the responsibility lies with the Nigerian people, organized and united around shared values.

He unveiled a multi-pronged citizen-led strategy to reform Nigeria’s political system. His approach includes dismantling money politics, reclaiming INEC and the judiciary with principled actors, and mobilizing issue-based voting blocs around electoral reform, budget accountability, gender inclusion, and state restructuring.

He introduced “Citizens United,” a civic technology platform designed to equip Nigerians with tools to track leaders, engage with policy, monitor elections, and organize grassroots action. Other initiatives include:

• The New Class Accelerator to cultivate value-driven political leaders.
• Organizing schools to train five million Nigerians in grassroots mobilization.

The June 12 Democracy Day Town Hall reasserted that Nigeria’s democratic renewal must come from the ground up; from citizens reclaiming power, rewriting the rules, and refusing to wait for permission to lead.

Mandate4.org

Mandate4 is a Nation-Building Non-Profit on a mission to elevate the quality of our politics, strengthen democracy, and ensure good governance outcomes at scale for Africa’s 1.2 billion people.