Nigeria’s By-Elections: A Disturbing Reflection of Our Broken Democracy

Nigeria’s By-Elections: A Disturbing Reflection of Our Broken Democracy

By Glintnews Correspondent :Onwe Chisom 

Once again, Nigeria’s by-elections have exposed the deep rot within our democratic system. Across Enugu, Adamawa, Kaduna, Oyo, Anambra, and Ogun, what should have been a simple test of electoral credibility turned into yet another theatre of shame — riddled with protests, missing result sheets, vote-buying, ballot box tampering, and the arrest of officials and politicians allegedly caught red-handed.

The pattern is clear: instead of elections being the peaceful expression of the people’s will, they have become an exercise in impunity, where politicians and their agents openly flout the law, confident that they will never face consequences.

In Enugu South, the election collapsed under the weight of INEC’s failure to provide something as basic as result sheets. Citizens who turned out in good faith were left stranded and angry. Their protests reflect a deeper frustration — how long will Nigerians endure an electoral system that repeatedly fails them?

Perhaps the most shocking incident was in Adamawa, where ballot boxes and BVAS machines were allegedly retrieved from the vehicle of APC National Vice Chairman, Mustapha Salihu. That a senior party official could be directly linked to such an incident is more than an embarrassment; it is a direct assault on our democracy.

To make matters worse, both APC and PDP agents were seen buying votes in broad daylight, even under the watch of security operatives. What message does this send to citizens? That elections are not contests of ideas, but auctions to the highest bidder.

In Anambra, ADC party agents were accused of thumb-printing ballot papers. In Oyo, the ADC candidate himself, Akin-Alamu, lamented the prevalence of vote-buying. When even candidates publicly admit that elections are decided by money, it shows that the problem is no longer isolated — it is systemic.

Kaduna’s by-election was marred by violence and the brazen hijacking of INEC materials by armed men. At the same time, police intercepted a suspected vote-buyer with ₦25.9 million in cash. In Ogun, INEC officials and a politician were arrested with money meant for influencing voters. These are not the actions of fringe actors — they point to a network of corruption woven into the very fabric of our elections.

Let us be honest: Nigeria is not practicing democracy in its true sense. What we have is electoral banditry masquerading as democracy. Technology like BVAS was supposed to protect the integrity of our votes, yet it has simply become another tool politicians attempt to manipulate.

Until we start jailing vote-buyers and holding party leaders accountable, nothing will change. Nigerians will continue to queue under the sun, only for their votes to be stolen, sold, or rendered meaningles.

The tragedy of these by-elections is not just that irregularities occurred; it is that such irregularities have become normalized. The brazenness with which politicians and officials compromise the process shows a total collapse of deterrence.

If democracy is truly about the people’s will, then Nigeria is failing spectacularly. What we witnessed in these by-elections was not democracy in action, but democracy in decline. And unless urgent reforms are made — backed by real consequences for electoral crimes — we are headed towards a future where elections will become nothing more than a ritual of deceit.

Nigerians deserve better. Until then, our democracy will remain a hollow shell, mocked by those who benefit from its weaknesses and betrayed by those sworn to protect it.

 blackstories: It is worrying that two years after the much-criticized 2023 general elections — where INEC repeatedly blamed “technical glitches” for its failures — the commission has once again stumbled in something as straightforward as by-elections. If INEC cannot organize smaller elections without chaos, manipulation, and missing result sheets, how can Nigerians possibly trust it to conduct the 2027 general elections?

The excuse of “technical glitches” is fast becoming a national joke. Technology was meant to build confidence, yet Nigerians now see BVAS machines and electronic transmission as unreliable and easily compromised. Trust, once lost, is hard to rebuild — and INEC has squandered much of it.

This raises deeper questions: What is the future of Nigeria? Democracy survives only when citizens believe their votes count. But when elections are reduced to violence, cash inducements, and shady backroom dealings, the people gradually lose faith in the ballot. And when faith in the ballot disappears, the temptation for undemocratic alternatives — whether apathy, anarchy, or authoritarianism — grows stronger.

Nigerians are already disillusioned. Each failed election is not just a setback for today — it erodes hope for tomorrow.

Looking ahead to 2027, the concern is glaring: if INEC cannot secure result sheets, stop vote-buying, or prevent ballot box theft in by-elections, what should we expect in the high-stakes general elections where the presidency and governorships are on the line?

Without radical reforms and visible accountability, INEC risks going into 2027 with zero credibility. And when an election umpire is no longer trusted, the entire democratic system teeters on the edge of collapse.

Unless urgent action is taken, the 2027 general elections may follow the same shameful script we have witnessed repeatedly: violence at polling units, manipulation of results, voters silenced by money and fear, and a disillusioned public left questioning why they even bother to vote.

The disturbing truth is that Nigeria is running out of time. Democracy is not sustained by speeches or promises; it is sustained by trust in institutions. Right now, that trust is broken. If INEC does not prove itself before 2027, we may be heading toward an election that will not only test our democracy but also our unity as a nation.