Clement Nwankwo, who leads the Civil Society Situation Room, has asked Nigerians and all political stakeholders to do more than just hope for free and fair elections in 2027. He believes that achieving credible elections requires real effort from everyone involved.

Speaking on Politics Today on Channels Television, Nwankwo said that wishing for change without acting will not help. He made it clear that simply hoping is not enough—people must get involved and work to fix the problems in the electoral process.

“If I say I’m hopeful but do nothing, then nothing happens,” Nwankwo said. “If I say I’ve lost hope, then we also do nothing.” He explained that he has seen life under dictators and non-democratic governments, and he knows how harmful that can be. That’s why he believes protecting democracy should be the top priority.

Nwankwo also said that Nigeria must move beyond positive thinking and actually push for strong changes in how elections are conducted. Without active reform, elections will continue to lack credibility.

He further criticized political parties for not being fair internally. He pointed out that many parties do not allow real internal democracy, and this lack of fairness affects the entire political system.

Nwankwo’s message is clear: Nigeria needs more than hope. It needs action—real, committed action—if the 2027 elections are going to be truly credible.