By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has released a critical post-election report on Nigeria’s 2023 general...
By Abdullahi Alhassan, Kaduna
The Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) has released a critical post-election report on Nigeria’s 2023 general elections, asserting that the process inflicted significant reputational damage on both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the judiciary, raising serious concerns about the future of Nigerian democracy.
Speaking at the launch of the report held at the CISLAC Conference Hall in Abuja, TMG Chairman, Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani, described the 2023 elections as a missed opportunity for democratic consolidation.
“The 2023 General Election was supposed to be a benchmark for transparency and credibility, with innovations like BVAS and IReV, alongside legal reforms,” he said. “However, the process left most Nigerians questioning the way forward for democratization in our country.”
Rafsanjani said both INEC and the judiciary emerged from the elections with their credibility severely eroded.
The report, titled “Telescoping Nigeria’s Elections: 2023 Election Cycle in Perspective,” highlights how INEC’s failure to electronically transmit polling unit results, as mandated by the Electoral Act 2022, undermined public trust and created suspicions of manipulation.
“At the National Results Collation Centre, the INEC Chairman insisted on proceeding with collation despite appeals from party agents to verify electronically transmitted results,” the report noted. “This brazen disregard undermined the integrity of the process.”
The TMG chairman also raised concerns about the judiciary’s deepening involvement in determining electoral outcomes.
“More than ever, the judiciary became an integral part of the elections, with its own credibility under intense scrutiny,” Rafsanjani said. “Questions emerged as to whether elections are still decided by the votes of citizens or by courtroom technicalities.”
The report documented widespread irregularities during the pre-election period, including vote-buying during party primaries and incidents of violence that continued through the general election. It further noted the divisive use of ethnic and religious sentiments, which significantly affected voter turnout—especially in Northern Nigeria, where participation was notably low due to widespread discontent with the incumbent government.
Despite the deployment of technological tools like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the report cited “widespread failure” to upload results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, in clear violation of the law and in detriment to transparency.
Rafsanjani warned that political maneuverings ahead of the 2027 elections—particularly rampant defections and cross-party alignments—risk creating a de facto one-party state.
“The credibility of the 2027 election is already at stake,” he warned. “The ideals of fair competition are being eroded as voters are left with fewer real choices.”
The report also reviewed off-cycle elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo states, questioning whether they marked any improvement in electoral conduct. While commending isolated instances of professionalism among security agencies and voter enthusiasm, TMG noted continued misuse of security personnel by politically exposed individuals.
Calling for urgent reforms, Rafsanjani appealed to all stakeholders—including development partners and civil society groups—to intensify support for credible institutions and civic education.
“Citizens must understand that poor elections lead to poor governance. We must work collectively to prevent the political hijacking of the electoral process,” he said.
He added that the significant investments by citizens, government, and international partners must be redirected toward ensuring that the 2027 elections are truly free, fair, and credible.
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