ELECTIONS: Nigeria Is Still Pursuing Shadows

 By Tonnie Iredia

In less than 4 months from now, Nigeria will hold its 2027 general elections; yet, not many would believe the assurances by the electoral body that the process will be free and fair. 

No one can blame the doubting Thomases because the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is notorious for not keeping its word. Just before the last general elections in 2023, INEC told the nation that it would premise its operations on modern technology: indicating specifically that there would be both manual and electronic collation of votes etc. 

Real-Time e-Transmission: ‘Technical Glitch’ In 2027 Will Unsettle Nigeria

 By Olu Fasan

The vexed debate over the Senate’s refusal to guarantee “mandatory” and “real-time” electronic transmission of results in the electoral law ignores two fundamental problems. The first is Nigeria’s utterly weak state capacity; the second is the total lack of institutional independence.

*Tinubu signs Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill 2026 into law

Even if the electoral act provides for mandatory and real-time transmission of election results, “mandatory” will not be mandatory and “real-time” won’t be real-time. Furthermore, INEC and the courts can’t be trusted to be above board in discharging their duties. Both problems discredited previous presidential elections in Nigeria and look likely to undermine the 2027 poll.