Traders will resist any attempt to subvert 2027 elections — Ukatu

By Joy Enamuna

As the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, rolls out its timetable for the 2027 general elections and lawmakers debate far reaching amendments to the Electoral Act, Nigerians from all walks of life are staking out their positions on what kind of electoral process the country deserves.

For the president of the Ndigboamaka Progressive Markets Association, NPMA, an umbrella body representing approximately 58 major markets across Lagos, the message is unambiguous: free, fair, and credible elections are non negotiable, and the trading community is prepared to resist any attempt to corrupt the process.

Comrade Chinedu Ukatu, who speaks for tens of thousands of market traders whose livelihoods sit at the intersection of governance, policy, and economic management, told newsmen in an exclusive interview that while his organisation is strictly apolitical and non partisan, its members are fully Nigerian and carry a clear and legitimate stake in the outcome of the country’s democratic future.

“I am a trader and as a trader, I as well as my members would like to see the interest of traders properly protected and there lies our interest. We are apolitical, non partisan, but we are also Nigerians,” Ukatu said.

He was, however, quick to broaden the scope of his organisation’s concern beyond narrow commercial interests.

“Our interest falls into where the interests of Nigerians of all creeds fall, the protection of our sovereignty, economic development and growth, and the enhancement of our trade value chain. The electioneering process and the emergence of credible, visionary, and capable political leaders matter more to us as traders and not the question of joining any bandwagon,” he stated.

On the ongoing legislative debate around the Electoral Act, Ukatu was pointed and direct.

He called on members of the National Assembly to rise above partisan calculations and enact amendments that genuinely serve the Nigerian people, with particular emphasis on the contentious issue of real time transmission of election results, a provision that has repeatedly become a flashpoint in Nigeria’s electoral reform conversations.

“There is this brouhaha about real time transmission of results and I would want to urge our distinguished senators and honourable members of the House to have the interest of Nigerians at heart and make sound amendments to the electoral law for posterity,” he said.

Ukatu issued what amounted to a direct warning to INEC and the political establishment, making clear that the trading community would not be passive bystanders if the integrity of the 2027 elections was compromised.

“If there is any impediment to free, fair, and credible elections, we as Nigerians shall vehemently oppose it. We shall support all structures meant to bring in free, fair, and credible elections, and whoever wins through these processes gets the support of all Nigerians,” he declared.

While stopping short of endorsing any political party or candidate, Ukatu said his organisation would actively encourage its members to vote according to their conscience and to prioritise character and competence above every other consideration when casting their ballots.

Ukatu used the interview to give voice to a deep well of frustration simmering within Nigeria’s trading communities over what he described as the indifference of political leaders to the repeated destruction of market infrastructure across the country.

“Our markets have burnt down, destroyed and sometimes demolished with little care about the investments of the people involved. We want to see political leaders who are sympathetic to the plights of Nigerians in places of authority,” he said, his words carrying the weight of communities that have watched years of accumulated investment go up in smoke with minimal government response or compensation.

He outlined the kind of leadership his members are demanding, describing his organisation’s political philosophy in terms that were both simple and exacting.

“Our political party is propriety in thoughts, words, and actions at all times and by all concerned, especially political leaders. We would like to see people of compassion in power, people who are capable, problem solving thinkers who will not take advantage of public office for pecuniary interests but for the welfare of the collective,” he said.

Perhaps the most stinging dimension of Ukatu’s interview was his frustration over what he described as the systemic exclusion of the organised trading community from INEC’s stakeholder engagement framework, a gap he said represents a significant missed opportunity for the electoral body.

Recalling that INEC had in 2023 engaged the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, in its electoral logistics operations, Ukatu expressed bewilderment that the market traders’ association, which commands far greater economic reach and organisational depth, had been left entirely out of similar conversations.

“It is rather unfortunate that they are not even talking to us. Traders are not recognised as the economic powerhouses that they are. We can play various important roles for INEC in the areas of supplies, logistics, and manpower support, but like I said, we are not being recognised for the good parts that we play in this country,” he lamented.

Ukatu said government agencies had consistently failed to maintain strategic engagement with organised trader groups, despite the enormous mobilisation capacity such groups possess.

He expressed his organisation’s readiness to partner with INEC ahead of 2027, saying the association had already established an internal political and civic engagement committee charged with sensitising members on their voting rights and responsibilities.

“We have already set up the political and engagement committee to sensitise members about the performance of their civic right of voting. They should prepare to vote and make their votes count. On the part of INEC, they should do all in their power to give Nigerians the deserved gift of free, fair, and credible elections come 2027,” he said.