The Niger Delta Renewal Group (NDRG), a pan-Ijaw group, has called on the Federal Government to implement electoral and legislative reforms in the country before the 2027 general elections.
The group, in a statement in Port Harcourt on June 28, 2025, said electoral issues are at the core of political and economic instability in Nigeria, and further heighten minority fears, and must be tackled for the country to progress.
Precious Peterside (President), Henry Tolofari (Secretary) and Cynthia Abbey (Director, Media and Publicity,) in a statement after the group’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, called for the implementation of an electronic voting system before the 2027 general election.
The statement called for “a clean-up of the current voters’ register before contemplating conduct of the coming polls,” as well as the restructuring of Nigeria’s governance architecture.
“We believe all components of the country stand to gain from a properly restructured Nigeria, in-spite of whatever fears that are harboured by the various nationality groups,” they said.
The Ijaw group also called on state governments in the South-South geopolitical zone to evolve policies that would promote Ijaw identity, values, orientation and economic prosperity.
“We demand that the acceptable Ijaw socio-political leadership protects the social welfare interests and values of our people.
“We, therefore, look forward expectantly to appropriate reforms in the leadership structure. It is true that when political leadership is wrong and moribund, beneficial socio-economic and infrastructural policies are always the casualty”, the group said.
They further expressed their readiness to provide a platform that will encourage greater political participation, while calling on stakeholders to begin early advocacy on the implementation of the electoral and legislative reforms before clamouring for the 2027 general elections in Nigeria.
The Niger Delta Renewal Group also called for full implementation of electronic voting system to enable Nigerians in the Diaspora participate in the 2027 elections.
“NDRG recognises the importance of the Ijaw Diaspora in the transfer of progressive knowledge and processes in their countries of residence to Ijaw home lands.
“This critical demography can help us achieve a lot of progress, if they get involved in the political processes right from their different bases, while also offering their technical expertise towards improving the socio-political and economic landscape of the Ijaw homelands”, the group submitted.
