INEC and Police Raise Concerns About Everything Needed to Hold an Election, Remain Hopeful the Election Will Hold Itself

Let me explain what happened, because it sounds more serious than it is.

The Independent National Electoral Commission and the police have raised concerns about insecurity, vote-buying, misinformation, and funding ahead of the 2027 elections. In other words, they have examined the election and discovered four problems, all of which were present last time.

This is the national version of a family meeting where everyone agrees the roof is leaking, the landlord is coming, and the generator is empty, and then everyone goes home to sleep.

Let us take them one by one.

Insecurity. The police are worried about insecurity. This is like the fire service announcing that it is worried about fire. Nigerians appreciate the honesty, and would also appreciate the fire truck.

Vote-buying. Officials fear people will sell their votes. Sadly, the market is simple: a bag of rice, a bundle of notes, and a warm handshake from someone who has not visited the community in four years. A hungry man will not discuss manifestos. He will discuss rice. With prices rising, voters are reportedly negotiating, and some are asking for a receipt.

Misinformation. A message arrives on the family WhatsApp group: "Forwarded many times. The election has been moved to Saturday." Your uncle shares it with seventeen groups and a blessing. By evening, three relatives have decided not to vote, and one has decided to rig it from home.

Funding. The commission needs money, and so does everybody. INEC is now the bride three weeks before the wedding: the venue is unpaid, the caterer wants a deposit, and the aunties on the committee keep insisting that everything is under control.

Observers say the solution is simple: secure the country, stop the vote-buying, correct the rumours and fund the commission. Sources close to the problem say this is exactly what was said last time, and the time before that.

Meanwhile, the concerns keep multiplying. Political parties are concerned about the concerns. Analysts are concerned that nobody is concerned enough. Somewhere, a committee is being formed to study the concern, and it will receive a budget, a vehicle, and a very long lunch.

Citizens are, as always, advised to remain calm. This is easy advice to give from an air-conditioned office, but we respect the effort.