Voters‘ Ignorance Of Electoral Processes A Major Challenge Ahead Of 2027 – PAACA

The Executive Director of Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre successful Africa (PAACA), Ezenwa Nwagwu, has raised interest implicit what helium described arsenic Nigerians‘ unthinkable deficiency of knowing of the ineligible model governing elections. He warned that this cognition spread continues to substance wide misinformation astir electoral processes.

Nwagwu spoke successful Ilorin, Kwara State, connected Wednesday, September 17, 2025, astatine a municipality hallway gathering organised by PAACA with enactment from the MacArthur Foundation.

The PAACA Executive Director noted that overmuch of the falsehood astir Nigeria’s elections is rooted successful a mediocre knowing of canvass laws and procedures.
He noted that expanding sensitisation and elector acquisition volition beryllium important to countering misinformation and increasing assurance successful the electoral system.

Nwagwu noted that arsenic Nigeria moves toward the 2027 wide elections, determination is simply a request to prioritise elector acquisition and sustained civic enlightenment, expressing interest that politicians are exploiting voters‘ ignorance of electoral laws and processes.

The municipality hallway meeting, portion of PAACA‘s ongoing run to beforehand a amended knowing of the electoral process, included representatives from INEC, Security agencies, accepted leaders, the National Orientation Agency, Civil nine organisations, and the media.

He said, “Lack of knowing of the ineligible authorities with which elections are conducted has been liable for immoderate of the falsehood and misinformation astir electoral processes.“

“It has been humbling to spot the level of ignorance, and we are blessed to usage this level to amended stakeholders and span that gap,“ helium added.

Nwagwu further reminded participants that elections stay a people-driven process, and reforms tin not win without a dependable knowing of the rules and caller technological innovations infused to enhance. Support and usher the electoral practice.

He expressed interest implicit what helium described arsenic “community collusion,” which helium said undermines elections and weakens accountability astatine the subnational level.

“As stakeholders, immoderate of america are guilty. We should beryllium agents of alteration beyond short-term benefits,” helium said. “If INEC has enactment the powerfulness successful your hands, past you should question ways of maximising that powerfulness alternatively of devaluing it. We should beryllium students of the instrumentality due to the fact that politicians survey the instrumentality to usage it arsenic a instrumentality to undermine the process.”

Highlighting the value of sustained civic engagement, the PAACA brag urged participants not to stay passive but to cascade the cognition gained from the municipality hallway into their communities and areas of expertise.

“The worth of this programme is successful cascading it to our assorted areas of specialisation. We indispensable not conscionable beryllium lukewarm benchers and support quiescent amid truthful overmuch accusation gathered today,” Nwagwu said.

Nwagwu added that PAACA volition proceed to prosecute stakeholders done municipality halls and different platforms to deepen nationalist knowing of the electoral process and fortify antiauthoritarian participation.

Also speaking astatine the event, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) successful Kwara State, Dr Hale Gabriel Longpet, commended PAACA for organising the forum, describing it arsenic timely for reflecting connected the gains of past elections and charting areas of betterment up of 2027.

Longpet restated the Commission‘s committedness to continuously amended voters connected the electoral process and beforehand elector consciousness and participation.

He emphasised that INEC’s mandate is to behaviour free, fair, and transparent elections that bespeak the people‘s will. This task requires corporate effort from civilian society, governmental parties, the media, information agencies, the judiciary, and different stakeholders.

“Together, we tin enactment towards promoting elector education, ensuring adherence to applicable rules and regulations, preventing electoral malpractices, providing indispensable services, and enhancing the wide electoral process,” helium said.

Reviewing the 2023 elections, helium noted that contempt challenges, the polls showcased the resilience of Nigeria’s democracy. The Electoral Act 2022 introduced reforms and innovations specified arsenic the INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED), the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal, which boosted transparency.

However, helium identified persistent challenges specified arsenic premature campaigning, electoral violence, insecurity, and ballot buying.

He disclosed that INEC had forwarded 142 post-election recommendations to the National Assembly, 8 of which required law oregon Electoral Act amendments.

The REC listed cardinal priorities successful the future, including amended readying and logistics, stronger...