Again, Nigerians are preparing to go to the polls early next year to elect candidates into various offices, at National and State levels. But, given the outcomes of the recently concluded primaries in the various political parties and the litigation likely to follow, the perception is that the polity is less than ready for free and fair elections, come 2027. With a chaotic opposition and fears of implosion by the various parties, some are of the opinion that 2027 elections will neither be free, fair nor contention free. The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, a civic organisation dedicated to promoting democracy across Africa, had a lot to say in this engaging interview with Onikepo Braithwaite and Jude Igbanoi last weekend, about the whole electoral process, pointing out its weaknesses, some of the positive electoral reforms that have been made so far, and what more must be done to make the process credible thereby earning the trust of the people
Yiaga Africa promotes democratic governance and civic engagement, and you were deeply involved in the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ campaign and in voter education. What steps must be taken to bring Nigerians to the realisation that they become their own worst enemies when they sell their votes, particularly to clearly unsuitable candidates, and what are you doing in this regard?
