Friday morning in Abeokuta was stirred with a different kind of energy, the kind that comes when ordinary people gather to reclaim the power that democracy promised them. At exactly 10:00am, residents of Ifo and Ewekoro streamed into the hall, some curious, some cautious, and many hopeful, answering Yiaga Africa’s call to build a People’s...
This week’s edition of The Ballot highlights significant developments shaping Nigeria’s political landscape. The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to ending election rigging and vote-buying as he swore in a new Resident Electoral Commissioner for Oyo State, underscoring INEC’s insistence on integrity as the foundation of democratic practice....
Oluwatosin Jaiyeola, a guidance and counselling psychology graduate with experience in teaching, counseling, and community development, reflects on the state of democracy in Nigeria through her personal lens as a young citizen. In this piece, she shares her belief that while freedom is a cherished gift of democracy, it can only thrive when citizens pair...
Poor connectivity is an inconvenience most Nigerians know too well, whether in everyday conversations, virtual meetings, or critical national processes. The recent remarks by the INEC Chairman reiterate this reality, highlighting how inconsistent network coverage continues to hinder real-time transmission of election results. What is an everyday frustration for citizens becomes a national challenge for...
The aftermath of the November 8, 2025 Anambra governorship election has unfolded with a mix of celebration, criticism, and political tension across Nigeria’s civic space. Professor Chukwuma Soludo’s sweeping re-election, winning all 21 local government areas, drew both commendation and scrutiny, even as observer groups like Yiaga Africa raised serious concerns over vote buying, delayed...
Using the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology, Yiaga Africa, under the Anambra Election Observation Hub, independently verified the official results announced by INEC following the 2025 Governorship election. The Election Observation Hub, comprising The Kukah Centre, IPC, CEMESO, NWTF, ElectHER, and TAF Africa, deployed a total of 711 citizen observers across all...
Everywhere you turn, young Nigerians cry for change; on social media, in the streets, in conversations that always end with “this country is finished.” We talk about poor leadership, rigged systems, and a stolen future. But the truth is this: while the state has failed us, many of us have also failed or are failing...
As Nigeria edges closer to the November 8 Anambra governorship election, this week’s edition of The Ballot takes a closer look at the state of electoral preparedness, institutional credibility, and the recurring patterns shaping Nigeria’s democracy. From Yiaga Africa’s pre-election benchmarks and INEC’s assurance of a credible process under new leadership, to the political ripples...
Ahead of the November 8, 2025, Anambra State governorship election, Yiaga Africa’s #WatchingtheVote presents its pre-election press statement highlighting key observations, risks, and recommendations. With 687 observers deployed under the joint Election Observation Hub comprising of seven member-organisations of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) II, Watching the Vote, in this...
