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Following the relatively fair and free elections in March 2015, which resulted in the All Progressives Congress (APC) assuming power for the first time, subsequent elections have been marred by disarray and dissatisfaction. The APC and its leadership, determined to retain the power they acquired when former president Goodluck Jonathan gracefully conceded defeat, have shown disdain for transparent elections.

The 2023 general elections, which brought Bola Tinubu to the presidency alongside numerous governors and legislators, have been widely criticized as a mockery of democracy and an attack on the principles of fair elections in Nigeria. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and its Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, organized a disgraceful election despite receiving N355 billion ($780 million) in taxpayer funds, failing to deliver the transparent elections promised.

The outcome of INEC’s failure left many feeling disillusioned and devoid of hope, leading to subdued and lackluster celebrations. Shortly after the February presidential vote, former president Olusegun Obasanjo accused certain INEC officials of sabotaging the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the Server used for transmitting results from polling units. Obasanjo warned that the election process had been corrupted, with manipulated and doctored results being presented outside the BVAS and Server.

 International observers, including the Joint Election Observation Mission of the International Republican Institute (IRI) and the National Democratic Institute (NDI), headed by former President of Malawi Joyce Banda, stated that the election fell short of Nigerians’ reasonable expectations. The delegation of the two United States institutes, consisting of 40 members, pointed out logistical challenges and multiple incidents of political violence that overshadowed the electoral process and hindered the participation of a significant number of voters. They highlighted challenges with the electronic transfer and timely publication of results on a public portal, which undermined citizens’ confidence in the process.

The ruling APC and INEC, undeterred by the criticisms, dismissed the local and global condemnation of the polls as biased and mere complaints from political opponents. The final report of the European Union Election Observation Mission (EOM), which monitored the national and state elections in February and March 2023, was released in late June.

 The report confirmed the widespread sentiment among the general electorate that the elections were marred by fraud and violence, while also criticizing INEC for its mismanagement of the votes.

The EOM stated that the 2023 general elections did not meet the expectations of a well-run, transparent, and inclusive democratic process, as promised by INEC. The report mentioned the volatile pre-poll environment affected by economic crises, abuse of incumbency, widespread vote buying, and incidents of organized violence that deterred voter participation.

The overall outcome of the polls highlighted the continued underrepresentation of marginalized groups in political life. Despite candidates and parties taking their complaints to court, the EU report called for an independent audit of the entire process due to the erosion of public confidence and trust in INEC. The elections in Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, drew disconcerting attention as state-affiliated violent groups targeted voters of Igbo origin and those resembling them.

The spokesperson for Bola Tinubu, Bayo Onanuga, made inflammatory anti-Igbo statements after Tinubu lost the state in the presidential elections, while MC Oluomo, a close associate of Tinubu, was recorded threatening Igbo voters. INEC’s failure was deeply frustrating to voters and most Nigerians, representing a dismal performance by an organization suspected of collusion and corruption. Despite receiving a budget of N355 billion, INEC’s promises of a well-run election were woefully unfulfilled. In November 2022, Mahmood Yakubu asserted that INEC would not backtrack on using the Bim