May 21, 2026
Nigeria’s democracy is not dying loudly. There are no soldiers on the streets, no formal suspension of the constitution. The damage is quieter and, for that reason, far more dangerous. It happens through manipulation of processes, selective application of rules and the steady capture of institutions that were created to keep power in check.
At the centre of this decline are two bodies whose independence democracy cannot survive without: The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Judiciary. INEC’s conduct has given Nigerians good reason for concern. The 2023 general elections were meant to mark a turning point, with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing platform (IReV) promising greater transparency. Instead, result uploads were delayed, figures were inconsistent across polling units, and public trust collapsed visibly. These were failures serious enough to change political outcomes and reinforce the widespread belief that elections in Nigeria are manipulated by those who control the process. The courts, which should have stepped in as neutral referees, have worsened matters. Judicial involvement in party primaries and election disputes has too often rewarded legal manoeuvring over the honest expression of voters’ will. When tribunals resolve governorship disputes on narrow procedural grounds rather than addressing the real substance of electoral complaints, the message to ordinary Nigerians is that power is won in courtrooms, not at the polling booth.
