Since Nigeria’s return to civilian rule in 1999, electoral reform has been a persistent national concern. Each electoral cycle has exposed weaknesses in administration, legal frameworks, and political culture. Nonetheless, the country has achieved measurable improvements in its electoral process, largely due to sustained civil society advocacy, legislative amendments, and institutional learning within the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
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Early Challenges and Observer Findings
Nigeria’s first elections under civilian rule (1999) were considered relatively peaceful but administratively weak. By 2003, however, serious irregularities surfaced.
Reports by the European Union Election Observation Mission (EU-EOM) and Human Rights Watch documented widespread electoral malpractices, including ballot-box stuffing, falsification of results, intimidation of voters, and politically motivated violence, especially in the South-South and South-East zones. These problems revealed structural flaws in the legal and institutional arrangements governing elections.
The flawed 2003 and 2007 polls exposed Nigeria’s urgent need for reform and directly prompted the establishment of the Presidential Electoral Reform Committee (PERC), led by Justice Mohammed Lawal Uwais, in 2007.
The Uwais Committee and Its Recommendations
In 2008, the Uwais Committee submitted a comprehensive report to the Federal Government. Its recommendations remain a reference point for credible electoral reform in Nigeria. The major proposals included:
- Independent Appointment of INEC Leadership: The power to appoint the INEC Chair and Commissioners should shift from the President to an independent body, such as the National Judicial Council, to enhance impartiality.
- Guaranteed Funding: INEC’s finances should be treated as a first-line charge on the Consolidated Revenue Fund to reduce executive interference.
- Establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission: A separate institution should prosecute electoral offences effectively.
- Post-Election Justice: Candidates whose elections are legally disputed should not assume office until courts deliver final judgments.
While the Federal Government accepted many recommendations in principle, most remain unimplemented due to political resistance and constitutional limitations. Only some, such as enhanced INEC autonomy and aspects of the electoral justice system, have been partially reflected in later legislation.
Legislative Milestone: The Not Too Young To Run Act (2018)
One of Nigeria’s most significant democratic reforms came through youth activism. The Not Too Young To Run Bill, championed by civil society and sponsored in the National Assembly, sought to lower the age threshold for elective offices.
On 31 May 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the bill into law, reducing age requirements as follows:
- President: from 40 to 35 years
- Governor and Senate: from 35 to 30 years
- House of Representatives and State Assemblies: from 30 to 25 years
The Act inspired a surge of youth political participation in the 2019 and 2023 elections, particularly in state legislatures. Although young candidates still face financial and structural barriers, the Act signalled Nigeria’s commitment to inclusivity and generational renewal.
Modern Improvements: The Electoral Act 2022
Nigeria’s most comprehensive electoral legislation to date, the Electoral Act 2022, repealed earlier laws and introduced more than 80 new provisions. The Act enhanced credibility, transparency, and process integrity across several areas:
- Technology and Transparency: It legally authorised the use of electronic voter accreditation (BVAS) and result transmission (IReV), ensuring legal backing for digital tools first tested in previous elections.
- Timeline Certainty: The Act fixed clearer deadlines for party primaries, candidate substitution, and publication of results, reducing last-minute changes.
- Financial Provisions: It improved INEC’s financial independence by specifying budgetary timelines and dedicated disbursement mechanisms. However, INEC is still not a constitutional first-line charge, meaning funding autonomy remains limited without further constitutional amendment.
- Election Dispute Process: The Act harmonised pre- and post-election procedures to reduce litigation delays and overlapping jurisdictions.
These innovations significantly strengthened Nigeria’s electoral framework. Domestic and international observers, including Chatham House and the EU-EOM, recognised the Act as a major step toward credible elections.
Remaining Gaps and Unimplemented Reforms
Despite progress, many of the Uwais Report’s transformative recommendations remain outstanding:
- The Electoral Offences Commission, though proposed in multiple reform reports (Uwais 2008 and Lemu 2011), has not been established by law.
- INEC’s appointment process still lies within presidential discretion.
- Diaspora voting, despite broad support, has yet to be legislated or piloted.
- Accessibility measures for persons with disabilities, while acknowledged in policy, require better enforcement.
- Campaign finance regulations remain poorly implemented, enabling excessive spending and weak accountability.
These unfulfilled reforms continue to undermine voter confidence and electoral integrity.
Why Reforms Lag
Several interlocking factors explain the slow pace of reform:
- Executive Resistance: Proposals that reduce presidential control, such as independent appointment of INEC leadership, face consistent political opposition.
- Constitutional Constraints: Major reforms require constitutional amendments, a process involving two-thirds approval in both federal and state legislatures.
- Political Cost: Effective enforcement of campaign-finance rules or sanctions for election offences could threaten vested political interests.
- Institutional Weakness: Slow judicial processes and weak inter-agency coordination hamper implementation.
As a result, reform often advances incrementally rather than comprehensively.
Measurable Impacts So Far
Nigeria’s reforms have nonetheless yielded concrete democratic gains:
- The 2015 general election produced the first peaceful transfer of power between rival parties, from President Goodluck Jonathan to Muhammadu Buhari, a historic moment in Nigeria’s democratic consolidation.
- The Not Too Young To Run Act expanded youth participation and shaped national discourse around inclusion.
- The Electoral Act 2022 has enhanced transparency through legal backing for technological innovations and stricter timelines.
- Civic groups such as Yiaga Africa, CLEEN Foundation, and Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) have improved citizen oversight, voter education, and post-election audits.
These changes demonstrate progress, even though structural reforms remain incomplete.
Outlook: Consolidating Democratic Gains
To sustain democratic progress, Nigeria must:
- Implement the Uwais Report Fully: Establish the Electoral Offences Commission, guarantee constitutional funding for INEC, and adopt a more independent appointment process.
- Enforce Existing Laws: Prosecute electoral offenders swiftly and prevent assumption of office while petitions are pending.
- Expand Access and Inclusion: Introduce diaspora voting and strengthen provisions for persons with disabilities.
- Build Public Trust: Prioritise transparency, timely publication of results, and robust engagement with civil society and observers.
Only through sustained political will, judicial integrity, and civic vigilance can electoral reforms deliver their full promise.
Author’s Note
Nigeria’s democratic journey since 1999 reflects gradual but genuine progress. The Not Too Young To Run Act and the Electoral Act 2022 mark important milestones, yet the larger reform vision articulated by the Uwais Report remains unfinished.
The task ahead is not the drafting of new laws, but the faithful implementation of existing ones and the completion of constitutional amendments already envisioned more than a decade ago.
Democracy in Nigeria is advancing, not yet perfect, but undeniably moving forward.
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References
Electoral Act 2022, Federal Republic of Nigeria (Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, PLAC annotated edition, 2022).
Report of the Presidential Electoral Reform Committee (Uwais Report), 2008.
EU Election Observation Mission Reports (2003–2023), European Union External Action Service.
Human Rights Watch, Nigeria’s 2003 Elections: The Unacknowledged Violence, 2004.
Not Too Young To Run Act, Federal Government Gazette, assented 31 May 2018.
INEC Reports on the 2015 and 2023 General Elections. Yiaga Africa / CLEEN Foundation policy briefs on electoral reform and inclusion, 2022–2024.
