This week on The Ballot, Nigeria’s democracy is under the microscope from the courtroom to the polling booth. President Tinubu has been dragged to court over the controversial Rivers LG elections, with a suit challenging his use of emergency powers and seeking a nullification of the polls. INEC, meanwhile, is in the spotlight on two fronts, announcing over 6.2 million online voter pre-registrations alongside one million physical sign-ups, while its chairman Mahmood Yakubu urges the National Assembly to speed up long-awaited amendments to the electoral framework.
Calls for sweeping reforms are also echoing from top political figures like Peter Obi, Rotimi Amaechi, Pat Utomi, and Oby Ezekwesili, who insist Nigeria must overhaul its system before 2027. At the same time, the ICPC is partnering with INEC in Osun to tighten the screws on vote-buying, while PAACA sets the record straight that Nigeria’s elections are actually among the cheapest in West Africa, costing just $8 per voter.
