Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former Sokoto State Governor and Senator, has urged for credible international oversight of Nigeria’s elections, citing economic hardship, electoral mistrust, and weakening institutions as concerns. Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Monday, Tambuwal said Nigeria’s democracy is at a critical crossroads, with citizens increasingly losing confidence in the executive, legislature,
Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, former Sokoto State Governor and Senator, has urged for credible international oversight of Nigeria’s elections, citing economic hardship, electoral mistrust, and weakening institutions as concerns.
Speaking in an interview with ARISE News on Monday, Tambuwal said Nigeria’s democracy is at a critical crossroads, with citizens increasingly losing confidence in the executive, legislature, and judiciary.
He mentioned that all three arms of government are failing in their responsibilities, creating a leadership vacuum that is worsening the country’s political and economic instability.
“Let me be very honest with you. As of today, it is all three arms of the government. There were times in the past when one arm would wobble, and another would step in through checks and balances. But today, all the levels are failing,” he said.
Tambuwal linked this governance crisis to a decline in electoral integrity, stressing that credible elections form the foundation of good governance. He warned that when electoral outcomes do not reflect the will of the people, leaders emerge without legitimacy, and policies are implemented without accountability, a pattern he said Nigeria is currently experiencing.
He noted that many Nigerians now believe election results are frequently distorted along the process, from polling units through collation centres to final announcements.
“It is not completely decided by the electorate. I can say that without missing words. From polling units to wards, local governments, states, and even at the national level, things happen that misrepresent what voters actually voted for,” he said.
Tambuwal, therefore, called for strong international engagement and observation ahead of the next elections, recalling how global attention helped to safeguard the 2015 polls.
“International intervention helped shape the 2015 election. I expect similar engagement to ensure free, fair and credible elections, without direct interference,” he stated.
He argued that such scrutiny is vital at a time when trust in domestic electoral institutions is wavering, citing failures of technology, late commencement of voting, and alleged compromise of officials.
“It is a combination of both. Politicians exploit loopholes wherever they exist. INEC also has challenges, from failure of technology, late commencement of elections, failure to transmit results, and compromise of officials,” he added.
Tambuwal said he fully supports reforms such as electronic transmission of results, even if they work against his personal political interests. “I wholeheartedly support any reform that will improve the electoral process, including electronic transmission, even if I lose an election because of it,” he said.
Aside from elections, he criticised several recent economic policy decisions, particularly the removal of fuel subsidy, which he said worsened hardship without any clear mitigating framework for citizens.
“The way the current administration removed fuel subsidies was without any alternative, without any framework, without thinking through, and without consultation,” he said, pointing to rising inflation, food insecurity and declining living standards.
He also expressed concern over worsening insecurity, faulting the U.S. airstrike in parts of Sokoto State, which he said was unjustified and the product of poor intelligence. He warned that negotiations with bandits should only occur from a position of strength.
“We should not negotiate with bandits from a weak position. We should subdue them first, then come to the table,” he said.
Looking ahead to opposition realignments, Tambuwal said the emerging ADC-led coalition must prioritise internal democracy rather than personality politics. “I believe in clear and transparent primaries. Whoever emerges, all of us in the coalition will support that candidate,” he said.
On zoning, he argued that competence must prevail over sectional interests, saying Nigeria is in a critical condition that demands capacity above sentiment. “If your mother is critically ill, will you ask for a doctor from your tribe or the best doctor available? That is the situation Nigeria is in today,” he noted.
