In 1999, Nigeria transitioned to democratic rule after 16 years of uninterrupted military dictatorship.
The general elections saw the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) securing 21 governorship seats, the All Peoples Party (APP) winning 9 states and the Alliance for Democracy (AD) winning 6 states respectively.
At that time, notable political figures such as HE Rt. Hon. Rotimi Amaechi, HE Nasir El-Rufai and HE Atiku Abubakar were all members of the PDP.
Interestingly, despite the political dynamics, there were few, if any, public outcries about electoral malpractice.
How the 2003 elections brought “do-or-die” politics
By 2003, the PDP expanded its control to 28 states of the federation.
The All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP) managed to secure 7 states, while the Alliance for Democrats (AD) was reduced to just one state (i.e. Lagos).
President Olusegun Obasanjo famously declared the election a “do-or-die” affair, a reflection of the intensity and ruthlessness of that period.
Mr. Atiku Abubakar later admitted to manipulating the process to capture five South-Western States for the PDP, sparing only Lagos for “strategic reasons.”
At that time, Amaechi and El-Rufai remained in the PDP and were silent on the rigging allegations.
The PDP even boasted of its plans to rule Nigeria for 60 uninterrupted years.
The 2007 elections became the peak of electoral manipulation
The 2007 elections marked another dark chapter in the history of electoral fraud in Nigeria.
The results of the Presidential Elections were so contentious that they were announced late at night after most stakeholders had left INEC’s collation centre.
Three out of seven Supreme Court Justices dissented, describing the outcome of the election as a tragic moment for Nigerian democracy.
Even President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who emerged from the flawed process, admitted publicly that the elections were heavily rigged.
Following that election, the PDP pooled 28 states.
ANPP got 4, Action Congress (AC) had 2, and the Progressive Peoples Alliance (PPA) secured 2 states.
However, the Court of Appeal later restored some stolen mandates.
Anambra State was returned to APGA, Edo and Ekiti States to Action Congress (AC), Ondo State to the Labour Party, while Osun State was restored to AC.
Justice Ayo Salami, who presided over these decisions, was eventually removed from office, a move that was widely believed to be politically motivated.
During this period, elections were akin to warfare.
Armed thugs wearing masks stormed polling units, carted away ballot boxes and instilled fear in the electorates.
Electoral materials were hijacked and diverted to the homes of PDP chieftains where ballot papers were fraudulently stamped.
Compromised INEC officials often accepted these fake results while actual voters were intimidated and forced to flee.
Many lives were lost to political violence.
Back then, there was no Bimodial Voters’ Accreditation System (BVAS) or digital voter verification.
Underage voting was rampant, with states like Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Bauchi, Katsina and Kaduna reporting millions of inflated votes.
Without reforms, such states would today be posting over 5 million votes each.
The 2023 elections marked a new dawn for Nigerian democracy
Fast forward to 2023, and the contrast is striking.
No lives were lost during the elections.
The use of BVAS and IReV ensured transparency and credibility.
Voters could verify polling unit results online.
Underage voting was eliminated, multiple voting curtailed and ballot box snatching drastically reduced.
Votes truly began to count.
Anyone who denies the remarkable strides made by INEC under the APC administration since 2015 is either insincere or oblivious to Nigeria’s electoral history.
Ironically, many of those crying foul today: figures like Nasir El-Rufai, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi and even Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s allies were once silent enablers of past electoral fraud under the PDP regime.
As we look ahead to 2027, the hope is that the gains of 2015 and 2023 will be sustained and deepened.
We are still expecting major reforms in the judiciary and electoral system.
By God’s grace, the people will again exercise their right to vote freely and fairly, this time, with even greater resolve.
Indeed, votes are beginning to count in Nigeria.
Disclaimer: Please note that the views expressed in this article are those of the writer and are not shared or endorsed by the Bavijas Club or its owners.