The steady decline in voter turnout in Nigeria remains a cause for concern and calls to question the nation’s 21 years of uninterrupted democracy. After six circles of general elections, citizens are yet to trust the electoral system enough to participate in it. This is rightly so because the system is yet to inspire citizens’...

With barely 31 months to the 2023 general elections, the challenges of Nigeria’s electoral process are enormous, and it requires leadership and decisive actions from diverse stakeholders to fix. There has been series of effort to on electoral reforms by the National Assembly and Civil society groups have also proposed amendments to the electoral legal...

On Tuesday, June 30, 2020, civil society groups will host a Live TV and virtual citizens’ townhall on electoral reforms. The townhall is an opportunity for stakeholders to build national consensus on priority issues for electoral reforms through an inclusive and collaborative process. The townhall is hosted by Yiaga Africa and its partners with support...

Nigeria missed an opportunity to improve the quality of its elections as compared to the 2015national elections. The 2019 elections were not the elections Nigerians wanted; they were not the elections Nigerians expected; and, most importantly, they were not the elections Nigerians deserved. Nigeria needs a national conversation on a new electoral design or framework...

In a bid to facilitate public debate on the impact of COVID-19 on the upcoming Edo and Ondo Governorship elections, Yiaga Africa and Civil Society partners hosted a citizens townhall to harness citizen input into the INEC policy on elections in the context of COVID-19.  The town hall aired on Channels TV highlighted stakeholders’ perspectives...

The major reason behind the current apprehension on the upcoming Governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states amidst COVID-19 pandemic is simply because Nigeria has struggled to conduct a substantially credible election even when the terrain is serene. Be that as it may, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted they will go ahead...

As part of its plans to observe the upcoming Governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states, Yiaga Africa, civil Society Organisation and hub of changemakers on Saturday 6th June, held a virtual meeting with media personnel in both states.  The meeting held online engaged journalists on Yiaga Africa’s election project; Watching The Vote (WTV) and...

Introduction The Coronavirus disease remains one of the most devastating pandemic ravaging the world and creating lasting impacts. As the number of cases increases globally the effect is beyond a public health crisis as the economy of both developed and developing nations have been brought to a halt. More devastating is the impact of COVID...

The COVID-19 pandemic has had an extensive impact on the electoral process in Nigeria. Not only has it led to far-reaching disruptions in the electoral system, it has also specifically led to the postponement of elections and created uncertainties about scheduled ones. The Commission, cognizant of the profound impact of the pandemic on the electoral...

Background In the wake of the unprecedented outbreak and global spread of the Coronavirus (COVID- 19) pandemic, and its multiplier effects on virtually all spheres of human endeavor, governments around the world are forced to take decisive- and sometimes drastic- actions. The containment measures are multidimensional, namely the closure of national borders, suspension of international...