Former Lagos State governor and ex-Minister of Works, Housing and Power Babatunde Fashola tells Nigeria’s opposition to accept election results even when they are imperfect. Speaking at The Platform public policy forum in Lagos during Democracy Day celebrations, he argues that elections—especially presidential contests—are difficult to make “perfect” because they require large-scale logistics across the federation. He says the electoral process involves thousands of polling units carrying out the same procedures simultaneously under different conditions, making flawless execution challenging.

Fashola contends that mature democracies acknowledge electoral shortcomings while still accepting results and working to improve future elections through strengthened systems and institutions. He warns against increasing tendencies by politicians to reject outcomes, saying such behavior weakens democracy and prevents unsuccessful parties from taking up their role as the opposition in governance.

Beyond disputing elections, he calls for broader public engagement on governance, accountability and democratic values, emphasizing that democracy depends on more than election outcomes.