Credible Elections Can’t be Harvested from Rigged Primaries, Says Yiaga Africa Director

Nigerians are gearing up for the 2027 general elections, but a cloud of doubt hangs over the process. The outcomes of recent party primaries and the inevitable legal challenges suggest that the path to free and fair elections is far from certain.

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a citizen who sells a vote is mortgaging four years of accountability for a single transaction.

The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, highlighted the deep-seated issues plaguing the electoral system. He described vote-buying not merely as a moral failing but as a stark symptom of widespread poverty, a profound lack of trust in government, and a political culture that treats citizens as transactional customers rather than constituents to be served.

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It is, first, a symptom of poverty, of broken trust in government, and of a transactional political culture in which parties treat citizens as customers to be settled, rather than constituents to be served.

Yiaga Africa's strategy tackles both the symptom and the systemic issues. They work to reframe the vote's significance in the minds of citizens, emphasizing that the small sums offered for votes translate to four years of silence and an inability to demand accountability. Recent surveys show that a significant majority of Nigerians believe their vote can influence outcomes, a conviction Yiaga Africa leverages through voter education and election observation.

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In our recent National Voter Intentions Survey, 76% of Nigerians say they believe their vote can influence the outcome.

While the Electoral Act 2026 introduces stiffer penalties for vote trading, Itodo stressed that enforcement must match the law's intent. Civic education aims to reduce demand for votes, while prosecution is needed to curb the supply. The organization is also focusing on the incoming Generation Z, who appear less inclined to engage in vote-buying.

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Civic education changes the demand side; prosecution must discipline the supply side.