Akpederin Backs Electoral Reforms, Eyes Sapele Assembly Seat

Delta lawyer and House of Assembly aspirant, Kingsley Akpederin, has expressed support for ongoing electoral reforms in Nigeria, saying improved biometric and electronic voting processes could strengthen the credibility of future elections.

Akpederin, who also formally declared his intention to contest the Sapele State Constituency seat in the 2027 Delta State House of Assembly election on the platform of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), said credible elections remain critical to deepening democracy and ensuring voters freely choose their leaders.

Speaking with journalists in Asaba on Wednesday, the aspirant said his decision to join the race was driven by the need to promote participatory governance and ensure citizens play a greater role in shaping government policies and programmes.

According to him, governance should move beyond top-down directives to a system where citizens are actively involved in defining priorities, tracking implementation and holding leaders accountable.

“The advantage I have over my rivals is that I have more experience in grassroots mobilization and reach. I also have the confidence of the majority of people who have continually been reaching out to me to go into the ring again,” he said.

Akpederin identified economic and social development, security, welfare, accountability and digital governance as some of the areas he intends to focus on if elected.

He stressed the importance of political participation, noting that government decisions affect the daily lives of citizens and determine how public resources are managed.

“Politics determines whether public resources would be directed to the welfare of the people or would be misappropriated for matters not beneficial to the people,” he stated.

The legal practitioner also described broad participation in elections as essential for representative democracy, saying the increasing number of aspirants interested in the Sapele Assembly race could provide voters with more options.

“It is good that many people are interested in contesting for the House of Assembly position. It means if we have a free and fair election, there would be an array of candidates that the people can choose from,” he added.

Akpederin further expressed optimism over improvements in Nigeria’s electoral process, particularly the introduction of biometric and electronic voting measures.

According to him, past elections were marred by irregularities that denied voters the opportunity to freely choose their preferred candidates.

“This is the fourth time I am running for the same office. Unfortunately, most of the time, the electoral process did not always afford the people the opportunity to choose the person they truly desire,” he said.

He, however, noted that the adoption of technology in elections could help improve transparency and credibility in future polls.