The voting pattern that characterised the last five presidential elections in the six geopolitical zones may shape the general elections next year, Daily Trust investigations, through analysis of official voting figures in the last 20 years, have shown. The northwest and south-south geopolitical zones had the highest voting figures in Nigeria’s presidential elections since 1999,...

Universally, democracy is referred to as the government of the people by the people and for the people to emphasise that it is the people that give impetus to democracy. In essence, democracy cannot exist without the people. It is the people that set democracy in motion. It is the people that act as the...

Despite declines in political and civil liberties on the continent, regular elections – an indispensable foundation of democracy – signal that democracy is gradually taking root in Africa. The frequency of elections on the continent presents an undeniable opportunity for citizens to assert their sovereignty and negotiate a new social contract with the ruling political...

As part of preparations for observation of the 2019 general elections, YIAGA Africa’s #Watching the Vote (WTV) Project has commenced recruitment of volunteers across the 36 States including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) who would serve as State Focal Points (SFPs) on the project. The SFPs will coordinate and manage the election observation recruitment as...

The 2019 General Elections is barely a year to go and avalanche of political campaigns from every medium of communication will start flooding the Nigerian space and beyond as politicians seek votes from prospective voters. Even though, political campaign has not been officially declared open, Nigerian politicians are already declaring their interest to run for...

With less than a year to go, how are preparations going? Who is running? What will be the key issues? It is now less than a year before Nigeria’s critical general elections. In those polls, currently scheduled for 16 February and 2 March 2019, tens of millions of citizens will vote in what could be...

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday said that the commission was targeting registration of 80 million Nigerians in the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) ahead of the 2019 . The Chairman of the INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said this at a dialogue with a coalition of Civil Society Organisations in Abuja . Yakubu, who was...

Out of all the sections of the election amendment recently rejected by President Muhammadu Buhari, election sequence seems to be generating more reaction and debate more than other equally important sections of the act aimed at improving Nigeria’s electoral process.  As a matter of fact, the refusal of the President to assent to the amendment...

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is considering heading to the Supreme Court for determination of its powers to fix the date for general elections, following fears that the National Assembly would change the order of general elections. Changing the order of elections could force the electoral body to head to the Supreme Court for...