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Former Deputy President of the 9th Senate, Senator Ovie Omo-Agege, has called for a renewed focus on making democracy deliver tangible benefits to Nigerians, saying the essence of the June 12 struggle goes beyond periodic elections.

Omo-Agege, who is the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for Delta Central Senatorial District in the 2027 election, made the call in a message marking the 2026 Democracy Day celebration.

He said the sacrifices made by late Chief M. K. O. Abiola and other pro-democracy activists were aimed at building a Nigeria where citizens’ votes would translate into improved living conditions and accountable governance.

According to him, “it is no longer enough to just celebrate democracy” without measuring its impact on the lives of ordinary Nigerians.

“The issue isn’t democracy itself; the problem is that we have practiced democracy without delivering the results we desperately need. What’s truly missing is the value of every vote,” Omo-Agege said.

He noted that Abiola’s struggle was not merely for elections every four years, but for a country where every citizen, regardless of location or status, could use their vote to bring about meaningful change.

The former Senate leader said June 12 created opportunities for citizens, including young people and women, to participate freely in governance, but lamented that many Nigerians are still confronted with challenges such as hunger, poor infrastructure and insecurity.

“We have democracy, but where are the benefits? People are struggling with hunger, the roads are in disrepair, and insecurity is rampant,” he stated.

Omo-Agege said the true measure of democracy should be whether the average Nigerian is better off than they were four years earlier.

“The NDC aims to change that. For us, democracy should be measured by one simple question: Is life better for the average Nigerian than it was four years ago? If the answer is yes, then June 12 was meaningful. If not, then we have a lot of work ahead of us,” he added.

Reflecting on the significance of the June 12, 1993 election, the Delta-born politician said the transparency of the voting process was what gave Nigerians confidence in the outcome.

He argued that open counting at polling units remained critical to restoring public trust in elections, urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen transparency ahead of the 2027 general election.

Omo-Agege acknowledged improvements in the electoral system, including the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and easier voter registration processes, describing them as important reforms.

However, he advised INEC to prioritise protecting the integrity of polling units, where, he said, trust in elections is established.

“For 2027, I will recommend that INEC should also adopt open counting practices. There’s no need to rush the movement of materials from the polling units. Count the votes, announce the results, display Form EC8A on the wall, and let the media capture it,” he said.

He also called for better training and security for election officials, particularly NYSC members serving as ad-hoc electoral staff, describing them as frontline workers in Nigeria’s electoral process.

On electronic transmission of results, Omo-Agege said credibility could still be achieved if INEC strictly complies with electoral laws by ensuring votes are counted, announced, displayed and documented at polling units before collation.

He urged Nigerian youths to mark Democracy Day by taking ownership of the democratic process through voter registration and responsible use of their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

“The PVC is your power. Don’t sell it; use it wisely,” he advised.