NO ONE comes to power and wants to relinquish it easily without a fight. Not even in Nigeria where power confers a lot of privileges. Politic is the highest money-making venture and it does not attract tax.
The APC is expanding its reach with defections from across the country with the aim of remaining in power, yet it seems uneasy about electronic transmission of election results. Nigerians and the opposition see this as a sign of paranoia, revealing the party’s determination to claim power in 2027 at all cost. Notably, Governors from Kano and Adamawa are expected to join the APC this week, bringing the total number of APC governors to 31.
Trouble is brewing, and it is harvest season for touts, thugs, and militants. Politicians with empty track records resort to blackmail, intimidation, and witch-hunts to claim power. The “grab and run” mentality’s in full swing. Militant groups nationwide are selling out to the highest bidder, and street thugs are cashing in. This democracy’s going downhill fast – no progress, no development, and a bad ending in sight.
If a party controls 31 state governors, the National Assembly, and still fears free and fair elections, something’s off. Nigerians think electronic transmission is key to avoiding a repeat of 2023’s electoral chaos, especially after the INEC iReV portal glitch and alleged rigging. The amended proviso seems like a loophole, a way to sidestep the law if needed. The proviso is indeed a booby trap and should be expunged. What Nigerians want is express electronic transmission of results. However, ICT experts say that Nigeria has capacity to transmit results electronically.
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People are of the view that if APC is doing so great, why the resistance to real-time Electronic transmission of results? They’ve got the governors, agencies, and resources on their side, but they know that people aren’t with them. Zero electoral promises delivered. A city like Lagos can’t get 5 hours of power a day, and insecurity is spiralling out of control – from North-East to North-West, North-Central, South-East, and as Kwara is at risk, we pray the wildfire of insecurity does not spread to the South-West.
Many Nigerians still doubt President Tinubu’s 2023 win, citing INEC’s iReV glitch and alleged judicial manoeuvring. Regardless, he is president, and the Supreme Court’s verdict is final – for now.
APC is pushing hard for a 2027 win to rub it in the opposition’s face, implying they’d “prove” their 2023 victory. Unsurprisingly, their 2027 campaign kicked off May 29, 2023. APC has had its spanner on the electoral wheels to see if it can configure the landscape to deliver its desire in 2027.
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The political landscape is gotten pretty tight. Main opposition parties – PDP, LP, and NNPP – are fragmented, allegedly due to APC-backed sabotage. PDP and NNPP seem beyond repair, while Labour Party is trying to regroup. The recent Kwankwaso accusations have people stunned. Would he be facing heat if he’d joined APC? Kano’s sharia implementation isn’t unprecedented in Nigeria, Zamfara was the first state to implement sharia and no one has pointed fingers at Ahmed Yerima.
This government’s actions aren’t exactly inspiring trust, are they? APC’s had a trust deficit since 2015, failing to fix even one major issue they campaigned on. In fact, they’ve created more problems. They’re masters of politics and propaganda, politicising everything from security to economy, appointments, and even religion. Honestly, it’s hard to see why anyone would vote for them in 2027.
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APC thugs allegedly attacking ADC and LP gatherings in Lagos is a concern. Meanwhile, pro-Tinubu solidarity walks go ahead unhindered nationwide. This seems like a double standard: opposition events face obstacles, while ruling party supporters get a free pass. Everyone’s got the right to support or criticise – that’s what democracy is about. Tinubu, having been in opposition, should know this first-hand. As president, he’s got a duty to protect all Nigerians, not just his supporters.
We were taught in school that jurisprudence deepens democracy, but that relies on a functional judiciary and effective laws from the legislature. In today’s Nigeria, those two arms are not working well and they pose the greatest danger to our nascent democracy.
As Nigeria gears up for campaign season, things are about to get wild. Protests and counter-protests will erupt, with many Nigerians – already victims of politician shenanigans – picking sides in this messy battle that is meant to produce their next tormentor. The political scene’s going to get louder, more dramatic, and theatrical. Lazy youths will get a temporary gig, and wealthy politicians will recruit more armies.
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Trouble is brewing, and it is harvest season for touts, thugs, and militants. Politicians with empty track records resort to blackmail, intimidation, and witch-hunts to claim power. The “grab and run” mentality’s in full swing. Militant groups nationwide are selling out to the highest bidder, and street thugs are cashing in. This democracy’s going downhill fast – no progress, no development, and a bad ending in sight.
The biggest threat to our democracy is the National Assembly – it is become a gathering of people with vested interests. The judiciary is a close second. These two arms are crucial to democracy’s growth, and when they falter, democracy suffers.
We were taught in school that jurisprudence deepens democracy, but that relies on a functional judiciary and effective laws from the legislature. In today’s Nigeria, those two arms are not working well and they pose the greatest danger to our nascent democracy.
Election results transmission is just about sending figures, not streaming videos. Nigeria can use encrypted SMS, USSD, or low-bandwidth APIs – countries with worse infrastructure do it. The National Assembly is fearful of passing laws that’d boot them out. Selfishness is killing Nigerian democracy. Even our roads seem stuck.
Comrade Amechi is a Lagos-based trade union activist and pro-democracy advocate.
