— Then Guard Every Vote
American voters just showed what an aroused, organized electorate can do. Nigerians vote in ten weeks. The lesson for 2027 could not be clearer.
In the United States, voters chose on Nov. 3 a political path that no pollster, pundit or party machinery could persuade them to abandon. Voters expressed deep dissatisfaction with the rising cost of living and concern about the nation’s direction. By the end of that week, it seemed clear that the Democratic Party would win their greatest U.S. House majority since 2008 and one of their largest U.S. Senate majorities in more than a decade. Regardless of what one believes about the victors, the message is unmistakably clear: when citizens participate, power shifts — peacefully and on schedule.
Therefore, Nigerians should pay particular attention. Only slightly more than nine weeks away, on Jan. 16, 2027, Nigerians will elect a new president and a new National Assembly from among 18 candidates vying for the presidency. Like Americans, they have strong grievances: prices far exceeding wages, unfulfilled job opportunities, and insecurity that prevents farmers from tending their fields. However, unlike Americans, they also bear the weight of distrust in the electoral systems they will use to validate their voices. Will that mistrust lead to voter disengagement or voter apathy?
Let’s begin with turnout. Young people in America didn’t boycott the election because of disapproval; instead, they voted their disapproval. According to Tufts University’s CIRCLE, approximately 27% of Americans aged 18-29 voted — the second-highest level of youth voter turnout in midterm elections in thirty years. Only about 27% of registered voters cast a ballot in Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election — the lowest percentage since 1999. Put simply, Nigeria’s total electorate participated at approximately the same rate as America’s least consistent voters. Apathy does not equate to neutrality. Each uncast vote is a present to those relying on your absence. Nearly four in ten registered voters in Nigeria were under the age of 35; if they collectively vote as one generation, no machine will ignore them.
Next, INEC must work to regain the confidence it lost among Nigerians. During Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election, INEC assured the Nigerian public that polling station-by-polling-station results would be electronically transmitted to its IReV portal within minutes of completion. This assurance proved hollow. At the moment when the presidential results mattered most, INEC reported technical difficulties that prevented timely uploads. Meanwhile, INEC continued to rely on manually collected results from polling stations throughout the nation. Trust plummeted. Instead of closing this gap, INEC chose to widen it. Under Nigeria’s new Electoral Act 2026, INEC may optionally transmit election results electronically. Regardless, the original manually compiled result sheet from each polling station remains the official record of each polling station’s election results. INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan has stated that he believes there will be no technical problems preventing timely uploads during the next national election. While Mr. Amupitan’s assurances are welcomed, assurances are insufficient guarantees. Therefore, Nigerians should require INEC to establish and publicly document a plan to upload every signed polling unit result sheet to its website as soon as possible after receipt from each polling unit; require INEC to publish a voters’ register available for public review prior to Election Day; and allow accredited observers and party agents access to INEC’s BVAS accreditation records. A commission without anything to conceal should welcome nothing less.
Thirdly, the judiciary should cease functioning as the last ballot box. In America, election disputes are typically resolved quickly in court, based on evidence presented by litigants, and before the inauguration of elected winners — and losing candidates are typically expected to respect the outcomes. In Nigeria, elections are often resolved not at polling stations but in courtroom deliberations that frequently confound voters. In 2020, Nigeria’s Supreme Court installed Owerri Governorship Candidate Hope Uzodinma as Governor of Imo State, despite INEC having ranked him fourth. When judges (as opposed to voters) determine the winner of an election, citizens are disenfranchised twice. Therefore, Nigerians should advocate for judicial appointments based on merit rather than patronage; for the transparent application of disciplinary procedures to judges who violate their oaths; and for the rapid publication of full decisions relating to disputed elections so that each decision can be scrutinized in the light of day.
Fourthly, misinformation has become a primary weapon in the arsenal of electoral warfare. Social media both energized and deluged voters with false information. Nigeria is particularly vulnerable. As an expert on Nigerian broadcasting and media for nearly four decades, I have witnessed the battlefield shift from the radio dial to the WhatsApp group. False information spreads rapidly on social media platforms — including manipulated images or artificially generated voice notes — long before the truth can assemble itself properly. For example, a leaked audio recording purportedly featuring a prominent candidate was characterized by his own campaign as fabricated — yet millions had already listened to it. Discipline rather than censorship offers a solution: wait until you have verified authenticity before forwarding; verify credibility before sharing; and support credible journalists whose identities are tied directly to their reporting. Newsrooms; universities; churches; mosques; and civil society organizations should prioritize teaching media literacy as seriously as they emphasize teaching civic duties.
Lastly, elections are won or lost on kitchen-table issues. American voters — especially younger voters — cited economic concerns and the rising costs of living as reasons for voting for specific parties. Similarly, Nigerians should hold candidates to the same standards of accountability. Campaign slogans will not decrease the price of a bag of rice; restore electricity to a factory; nor improve safety conditions along highways traveled at night. Therefore, every candidate seeking Nigerian votes should be required to provide answers to two simple questions during each town hall meeting and each interview: How will you accomplish this? When will you accomplish this? What budget will you utilize?
Ultimately, an informed electorate — combined with an organization capable of mobilizing resources — provides the best protection against electoral manipulation. Ordinary Nigerian citizens documented signed result sheets at polling stations and posted them online, creating a form of grassroots documentation that election authorities found difficult to eliminate. The hope is that this behavior occurs on a mass scale during Nigeria’s 2027 elections. Vote early. Continue peaceful observation at polling stations, as permitted by law. Document (photograph) each signed result sheet and post it online. Participate in coalition groups that cross ethnic, religious, and geographic lines — because riggers rely on divisions among voters and fear unified opposition.
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♦ Chris Ulasi is on the Editorial Board of The West African Pilot News. He contributes stories about culture and tradition, elite politics, ethnicity and national integration, civil society, and social movement. He is a university professor, community builder, poet, film producer, recording the emergent Nollywood cultural history through film.
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