Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, on Tuesday criticised Nigeria’s electoral system, saying the country continues to face challenges in holding credible elections even though it has far fewer voters and polling stations than India.
In a statement titled “Tale of Two Nations Continues,” Obi contrasted Nigeria’s election process with India’s, which he described as a benchmark for democracies.
He pointed out that India has nearly one billion registered voters, with more than 60 per cent actively participating in elections.
The country also runs over one million polling stations, allows thousands of political parties, and uses technology to transmit election results electronically within days.
By comparison, Obi said Nigeria, with roughly a seventh of India’s population, has about 93 million registered voters, significantly fewer polling units, and only a tiny fraction of India’s political parties.
“It is troubling that we still struggle to conduct elections, even when voter turnout is below 20%,” he said.
Obi stressed that Nigeria has yet to consistently deliver free, fair, and transparent elections or ensure timely result transmission, unlike countries with far larger electorates.
He attributed the difference to leadership, noting that in India political leaders, lawmakers, and the judiciary work to prioritise citizens’ welfare and the future of their children.
In contrast, Obi argued, many Nigerian leaders enact policies that worsen poverty and jeopardise future generations, urging citizens to demand integrity, accountability, and people-focused governance.
His remarks coincided with ongoing debates over the Electoral Act amendment in the National Assembly of Nigeria.
Conference committees from both chambers have been set up to reconcile differences in their respective versions of the bill. While the House of Representatives approved real-time electronic transmission of results, the Senate supported sending results to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s portal but kept manual collation as a backup.
The House also experienced chaos during plenary on Tuesday, as lawmakers disagreed over repealing the Electoral Act Amendment Act, 2022, and replacing it with the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, 2026.
The conference committees are expected to harmonise the two versions before the bill advances to the next stage.
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