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Nigeria’s Electoral Woes
Nigeria has learnt nothing from its long and chequered train of electoral woes. Nigeria has a very unusually queer habit of ignoring its historical antecedents and facing the future blindly having learnt nothing from her past mistakes.
The first major crises that nearly tore Western Nigeria into shreds with spillover effects to other parts of Nigeria was resultant from a mismanaged election. In fact apart from the 1993 Federal elections, Nigeria has not conducted any credible, free and fair elections. But instead of etching his name in letters of gold in the annals of Nigeria’s history, the then Head of State General Ibrahim Badamosi Babaginda cancelled the most successful and the most popular election in Africa and passed on the winner, Chief M.K.O Abiola to Gen. Sani Abacha to arrest, incarcerate and waste. General Babangida’s reason for cancelling the election then was that many of his top army Generals did not support the Presidency of Chief M.K.O Abiola. What rubbish, what nonsense.
Elections all over the world are always contested with so much gusto and enthusiasm. Let us use this example from the United States of America and even our neighbouring Ghana to show Nigeria the way forward. The American Presidential Election of November 7, 1876 is still till date one of the most disputed elections in American history especially in the States of Louisiana, South Carolina, Florida and Oregon. All over America, the Democratic candidate Samuel J. Tilden won by more than a million popular votes but this was overturned by the Electoral Board (which was controlled by the Republican Party) in favour of R. B Hayes. The 1876 Presidential election dispute gave rise to a crisis, the like of which the United States had never seen. Many Democrats who felt that they had been cheated threatened “Tilden or war”. Congressman Henry Watterson from Kentucky even declared that an army of 100, 000 men was prepared to storm Washington if “Tilden was denied the Presidency.”
Since the American Constitution then was not explicit enough on how to resolve disputes from Electoral colleges, the Senate and the House of Reps voted to establish a Federal Electoral Commission Bill to tackle the existing crisis. And on January 29, 1877, President UIysses S. Grant signed the Electoral commission bill into law. The 15 members of the commission were made up of five Democrats, five Republicans and five Supreme Court Judges. None was appointed by the President.
Despite great opposition from the Democrat-controlled House of the Representatives, the new Electoral Commission voting on party lines (eight Republicans, seven democrats) awarded all 20 disputed electoral votes to the Republican candidate and thus R. B Hayes was sworn in as America’s 19t and most disputed President on March 5,1877. Most bitter democrats later referred to Rutherford B. Hayes as “Rutherfraud” “His fraudulence” and “His Accidency”. An extensive incursion into the American example is to demonstrate man’s ingenuity and ability to conquer his environment and solve his problems as pronounced by God Almighty.
But by far the greatest electoral frauds and manipulations occur more rampantly in African countries. There is really no African country that has not tasted of this bitter pill of electoral violence and crises at one time or the other in its history. Togo, Uganda, Rwanda, Benin, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Kenya and the most guilty apart from Nigeria. On the other hand also, there are only few countries in the world without electoral violence and crises. But most of these countries have overcome their electoral crises by either constitutional amendments’ or electoral bills, Americans solved the 1876 debacle by amending their constitution in just four days because it was an emergency. In Africa, Ghana and South Africa have had the best record of credible elections for some time now.
The Electoral Commission of Ghana is the official body responsible for all public elections in Ghana. It was established by the Electoral Commission Act of 1993. The seven founding members including its Chairman, Dr. Kwadwo Afari-Gyan are all still serving their 16 year on the commission. The members are not political appointees neither are they appointed by the Ghanaian President. Their independence is guaranteed by the Ghana Constitution of 1992.
Dr. Afari-Gyan who was invited last week by the Nigerian Democratic Institute and the Nigerian National Assembly to educate them on the way out of Nigeria’s permanent Electoral logjams advised managements of electoral bodies in Africa to “imbibe” transparency and openness to ensure true democracy in Africa.” He chided African politicians for taking elections as a do-or-die affair and that this desperate quest for power at all cost has placed the Electoral Commission in Africa in a difficult position before, during and after the conduct of elections.
He also encouraged and appealed to Civil Society Organisations or NonGovernmental Organisations to actively support and ally with the Electoral Bodies all over Africa. Ghana has a credible electoral body because Ghana has been able to reduce her tolerance level for corruption to zero, while Nigeria’s corruption level still stands at about 95 per cent. Nigeria encourages, pampers and rewards its corrupt officials while Ghana jails any official or even minister who is found guilty of corruption. Today, without mincing words or being sentimental Ghana, is Africa’s best model for democracy and strong democratic institutions.
By far the greatest area of difference between Nigeria and Ghana is the conduct and management of credible elections. While Ghana’s last two elections have been excellent, Nigeria’s last two elections are the worst in the annals of Nigeria’s electoral history, and in Africa as a whole. Nigeria has a litany of electoral woes and unsettled electoral petitions arising from the May 2007 elections.
Governor Olusegun Mimiko of Ondo State was lucky he got back two years of his stolen mandate. The Action Congress gubernatorial candidate for Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode Fayerni is still challenging the incumbent governor before the Ado-Ekiti Election Petition Tribunal in the third year after the May 2007 election. Alhaji Rauf Aregbesola of Osun State has accused the incumbent governor of a stolen mandate and has given enough evidence to declare him the new governor of Osun State.
Hopefully the court will decide that. We all still remember how the Ekiti re-run election was rigged in the glare of television cameras. Comrade Adams Oshiornhole was lucky too; he got his stolen mandate from the avaricious People’s Democratic Party.
Various efforts to reverse electoral mismanagement and fraud have proved abortive as President Umaru Musa Yar Adua has bluntly refused to implement the Justice Uwais Electoral Reform Committee recommendations.
Nanaghan is editor’s guest
Ben Nanaghan
The Rivers State Universal Basic Education Board (RSUBE) has trained 1,000 newly recruited teachers with a view to raising standards in public primary and junior secondary schools in the state.
The two-day orientation and capacity building programme held in Port Harcourt introduced the teachers to civil service rules, classroom management practices, and professional conduct expected of educators in the state.
The State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, told the newly recruited teachers that teaching demands more than academic qualifications, and called for discipline, diligence, and a strong commitment to service.
He described teaching as a noble profession that is central to the development of the state.
The recruitment, he said, reflects the government’s investment in children and long-term development.
“Education is the foundation of societal progress, and basic education is where that foundation is laid,” Nwagor stated.
He urged the teachers to shape the values and character of pupils during their most formative years.
He pledged continued support from the Ministry of Education through training, resources, and an environment that allows teachers to perform effectively.
Nwagor directed RSUBEB to reject transfer requests from rural to urban schools, saying the newly employed teachers have an obligation to serve where they are posted and help strengthen education in those communities.
In his opening remarks, the RSUBEB Chairman, Hon. Sam Oge, explained that the recruitment process began in 2023 under the previous board, adding that after assuming office, he consulted widely and secured Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s approval to complete the exercise.
Oge said the selection was competitive, with 1,000 candidates chosen from more than 5,000 applicants, and urged the teachers to treat the opportunity seriously and avoid lobbying for reposting.
He directed the teachers to resume at their assigned schools immediately, saying request for reposting will not be entertained.
The former RSUBEB Chairman, Ven. Dr. Fyneface Akah, who delivered the keynote address, described the orientation as the teachers’ formal entry into the civil service.
He urged them to be creative, purposeful, and open to learning on the job.
Akah stressed that teachers have a role in restoring values lost to moral decline, and urged them to model national values and see their work as a calling with lasting impact on the society.
He thanked the State Government for approving the recruitment, noting that the exercise will improve access to quality basic education across the State.
Akujobi Amadi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that no fewer than 1.4 million members of the National Youth Service Corps will be deployed for the 2027 general elections.
The Chairman of the commission, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), made this known on Monday during a courtesy visit to the Director-General of the NYSC, Brig Gen Olakunle Nafiu, at the Yakubu Gowon House, headquarters of the scheme, in Abuja.
Amupitan, in a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Adedayo Oketola, described the meeting with the NYSC senior management team as more than a formal courtesy visit, saying it was also a mission of gratitude.
According to him, the NYSC remains a critical pillar in Nigeria’s democratic process.
He noted that corps members had participated in virtually every election cycle since 1999, stressing that, “INEC cannot conduct elections in Nigeria without the NYSC.
“As the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, I am honoured to discuss our collaborative efforts toward ensuring seamless and credible elections in Nigeria.
“You provide the heartbeat of our field operations. When we speak of election manpower, we are essentially speaking of corps members.
“They are the most dedicated, educated and patriotic election duty staff we have, and their presence at polling units brings a level of neutrality and public confidence that is irreplaceable.
“They form the backbone of our election processes, especially as ad hoc staff, whose dedication, discipline and patriotism are critical to the success of our elections,” he added.
Amupitan said institutional data from the 2023 general election showed the importance of the partnership between INEC and the NYSC.
He explained that INEC deployed about 1.2 million ad hoc staff for the 2023 elections, with over 70 per cent, nearly 850,000 personnel drawn from corps members and student volunteers.
Speaking on preparations for the 2027 elections, the INEC chairman said more than 1.4 million ad hoc staff would be engaged, with corps members making up the majority.
“For the 2027 general election, we will require 707,384 ad hoc staff for the Presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027.
“The same number will be needed for the governorship and Houses of Assembly elections on February 6, 2027, making a total of 1,414,768,” he said.
He added that INEC would also require 52,446 corps members for the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, as well as by-elections in Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano states.
Amupitan said corps members accounted for nearly 90 per cent of Registration Area Officers and Presiding Officers in many states during previous elections.
“These young Nigerians did not just facilitate voting; they protected the sanctity of the ballot in 176,846 polling units across some of the most difficult terrains in the country,” he said.
He further praised the corps members for their role in off-cycle elections, particularly the Anambra governorship election and the FCT Area Council polls.
According to him, their digital proficiency contributed significantly to the seamless operation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.
“In those exercises, it was the digital proficiency of corps members that ensured the seamless performance of our BVAS, proving they are the tech-savvy backbone of our modern democracy,” he added.
Amupitan acknowledged the sacrifices made by corps members during elections and assured that INEC would continue to work with the NYSC and security agencies to strengthen safety measures and welfare packages for them.
As the 2027 general election approaches, we are committed to ensuring adequate mobilisation and preparedness of NYSC members for this important national assignment,” he said.
He also noted that the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections, scheduled for June 20 and August 15, respectively, alongside several by-elections, would serve as tests for innovations ahead of the 2027 elections.
Responding, Brig. Gen. Nafiu thanked INEC for its continued collaboration with the scheme.
He recalled that the Memorandum of Understanding between both organisations was signed in 2011 and had been periodically renewed.
Nafiu described corps members as credible, reliable and easily trainable manpower.
“The last batch of millennials will soon exit the scheme, leaving behind Gen Z corps members known for their digital savviness, which will benefit INEC,” he said.
He assured the commission of the NYSC’s continued support in both the 2027 general elections and upcoming off-cycle elections.
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