This is as he insisted that Nigeria’s path to successful 2027 elections depends on strategic mobilisation that will encourage Nigerians to turn out in large numbers to vote for the change they desire.
Filani stated this on Thursday while speaking during a consultative visit to the Inter-Party Advisory Council secretariat in Ogun State, Nigeria, where he met chairmen of various political parties.
He emphasised that the coming general election presents an opportunity to build a broad-based coalition anchored on participation, structure and voter numbers rather than the national discourse around protests or immediate amendments to the Electoral Act.
Filani argued that the decisive factor in 2027 would be how effectively political actors mobilise citizens to participate in the democratic process and reduce voter apathy, which he said has contributed significantly to the difficulty of achieving desired electoral outcomes.
He said that while legislative reforms remain important in the long term, the more urgent political task is energising voter participation and building strategic alliances capable of converting public dissatisfaction into electoral success.
“Politics is about numbers. If governance is not going well, the most effective strategy is to organise, mobilise and remove such leaders through the ballot in 2027,” he said.
Filani, who noted that Nigeria’s population is approaching 300 million, described voter apathy as the single greatest obstacle to political change, insisting that any meaningful shift in leadership must be driven by expanded civic engagement and disciplined voting.
He explained that although legislative reforms, including amendments to the Electoral Act, are important, the greater challenge lies in mobilising citizens to take ownership of the democratic process.
He dismissed what he described as “noise around reforms and protests,” insisting that sustainable change would come through organised civic engagement and strategic voting rather than demonstrations.
According to him, with Nigeria’s population approaching 300 million, low voter turnout remains one of the country’s most underestimated democratic challenges.
Speaking on insecurity in the country, Filani decried weak border management and said Nigeria has over 1,000 border routes stretching about 1,800 kilometres.
“Despite these vast entry points, insecurity persists due to weak border management and insufficient strategic deployment of security infrastructure,” he said.
“There is a need to extend the security architecture to all border areas, including improved surveillance, intelligence gathering and proactive measures to address both external and internal threats.
“Security must be strengthened at all our borders. We must also address other insecurity risks within the country.”
On food insecurity, Filani described the nation’s hunger situation as unacceptable, citing Nigeria’s estimated 84 million hectares of arable land.
“We have no reason to be hungry in Nigeria. If we invest in iron and steel production, we can locally produce farm implements and mechanise agriculture. When you invest in production and processing, you solve hunger and create jobs,” he said.
He maintained that deliberate investment in agriculture and local manufacturing would not only guarantee food security but also stimulate employment and industrial growth.
The YPP aspirant further stressed that leadership must be driven by vision and integrity rather than personal gain, warning against mismanagement of public funds.
Filani urged political parties, civil society organisations and institutions to intensify grassroots mobilisation, civic education and youth inclusion, emphasising that participation, not passivity, remains the cornerstone of democratic accountability.
