Nigeria Still Struggles With Credible Elections Despite Smaller Voter Base Than India — Peter Obi
Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Tuesday said Nigeria continues to struggle with credible elections despite having far fewer voters and polling units than India, as debate over amendments to the Electoral Act intensifies at the National Assembly of Nigeria.
In a statement titled “Tale of Two Nations Continues,” Obi compared Nigeria’s electoral process with that of India, which he described as a model among democracies.
He noted that India has nearly one billion registered voters, with over 960 million on the register and more than 60 per cent actively participating in elections.
Obi said the country operates more than one million polling stations, accommodates thousands of political parties, and conducts elections using technology that enables electronic transmission of results within days.
By contrast, he said Nigeria, with about one-seventh of India’s population, has about 93 million registered voters, fewer than 20 per cent of India’s polling stations, and roughly one per cent of its political parties.
“It is deeply troubling that we still struggle to conduct elections, even when we record voter turnout below 20%,” Obi said.
He added that Nigeria still remains unable to consistently deliver free, fair and credible elections or transmit results promptly, especially when compared with countries with far larger populations.
Obi argued that the difference lies in leadership, saying that in India, political leaders, legislators and the judiciary work tirelessly for the welfare of their people and the future of their children.
He alleged that in Nigeria, many political figures instead implement policies that impoverish the people and threaten the future of younger generations, urging citizens to demand leaders who put the people first and govern with integrity.
His remarks come amid renewed debate over the Electoral Act amendment currently before the National Assembly.
Both chambers have set up conference committees to reconcile differences in their respective versions of the bill.
While the House approved real-time electronic transmission of election results in its amended version, the Senate endorsed electronic transmission to the electoral commission’s viewing portal but retained manual collation as a backup where technology fails.
Meanwhile, plenary in the House of Representatives turned chaotic on Tuesday as lawmakers disagreed over a move to repeal the Electoral Act Amendment Act, 2022 and enact a new Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026.
The conference committees are expected to harmonise the differences before the bill proceeds to the next legislative stage.
Titilope Adako is a talented and intrepid journalist, dedicated to shedding light on the untold stories of Osun State and Nigeria. Through incisive reporting, she tackles a broad spectrum of topics, from politics and social justice to culture and entertainment, with a commitment to accuracy, empathy, and inspiring positive change.
