Beyond the headlines and soundbites lies a deeper story of voter sentiment, political polarization, and the never ending fight for representation and accountability. The most important lessons from this historic election and their implications for Nigeria’s future is discussed in this article.

The political system of Nigeria operates a multi-party system. The All Progressives Congress (APC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) who have held positions of leadership for over two decades and having governed in various capacities, they are still major forces to recon with while other political parties have remained in the background. Prior to the elections, there were four outstanding candidates based on opinion polls conducted by several independent organizations.

An opinion poll is the assessment of public opinions by questioning a representative sample, especially as the basis for forecasting the results of voting. After the parties primaries were conducted between 4th April and 9th June 2022,the People’s Democratic Party nominated former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the All Progressives Congress nominated former Governor of Lagos state, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Labour Party nominated former Governor of Anambra state, Peter Obi, and New Nigeria People’s Party nominated former Governor of Kano state, Rabiu Kwankwaso.

In the weeks after the Primaries, Vice Presidential running mates were announced, with Abubakar choosing Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, Obi selected former Senator Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, Tinubu picked Senator Kashim Shettima, and Kwankwaso choosed Pastor Isaac Idahosa.

This is the first General Elections that has been conducted under the new Electoral Act of 2022, introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). The modalities for having a free and fair election under the chairmanship of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu is the introduction of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System(BVAS). The INEC Voters Enrollment Dashboard (IVED) and INEC Election Result Viewing Portal (IREV).

According to the Electoral Law, the use of electronic devices such as smart card readers, electronic voting machines and other technological devices is allowed in the accreditation process for voters and the general conduct of elections. Furthermore, the new Act provides for the electronic transmission of election results in accordance with the procedure determined by INEC. The aim of these technologies is to eliminate voting by proxy and it also offer public access to view polling units results. Recall that INEC had a total number of 93,469,008 eligible voters in its voters’ register after a final cleanup including the removal of double registration and underage voters. According to the figures INEC provided, the total number of eligible voters rose by 11.3 percent from the 84,004,084 recorded in the 2019 general elections to 93,469,008 eligible voters in 2023.

The general elections saw Nigerians trooping out en masse admidst a backdrop of uncertainty and economic chaos with agitations from some quarters and jubilations from others. Nigerians home and abroad came out to cast their votes for their preferred candidate. However, marred by reports of vote buying, voter intimidation, attacks on polling units in certain areas, and the late arrival of some INEC officials along with accusations of outright fraud. INEC officials also failed to upload polling units results to the IREV Portal as previously assured would happen on election day.

As INEC commenced the announcement of results from states across the Federation on the 26^th of February at the National Collation Centre in Abuja, some opposition parties opposed the credibility of the process, and hence boycotted the announcement.

Their allegation ranges from electoral process being flawed along with other statements critical of INEC from independent observers and civil society groups. PDP, LP, NNPP, ADC and some other parties staged a walk out in protest against the furtherance of the process.

All three main opposition parties, in addition to some civil society groups and former president Olusegun Obasanjo, called on the commission to rerun the election due to widespread fraud and violence allegations. Admidst mixed emotions, the Electoral Commission declared the rulling APC candidate, Bola Ahmed Tinubu winner of the Nigeria’s 2023 presidential elections with 8,794,726, votes.

The just concluded election has brought up questions of accountability and the role of technology in the electoral processes in Africa as a whole, with Nigeria being the largest democracy in the continent, and often times referred to as the giant of Africa.

Drawing lessons from Kenya’s nullification of the 2017 election, blockchain technology was introduced to increase transparency and lessen perceptions of opacity. This technology helped Kenya to mitigate the status quo of electoral inconsistencies and mass rigging, a usual experience in African politics.

Part of the prices Nigeria has had to pay is the loss of faith in its electoral process. Nonetheless, boycotting the electoral process can have significant impacts on the nation. In a democracy, citizens are expected to exercise their right to vote and have their voices heard. Choosing to boycott electoral participation can lead to a lack of representation in government and a lack of accountability for elected officials.
As Nigeria is heterogenous, blockchain technology should be used, where votes are stored in immutable ledger therefore offering instant access to the election results. All political parties should be held accountable for their actions and should be transparent in their dealings with the electorates.

Finally, the 2023election should demonstrate the importance of peaceful debate and constructive dialogue between candidates and their supporters. By engaging in thoughtful debates, citizens get to understand the views and plans of candidates running for political offices, and thereby make informed decisions in elections.

This election has implications beyond Nigeria, as it is a bellwether of political developments throughout the African continent. African nations are capable of conducting free and fair elections which are essential for a stable political system and economic prosperity. Victory for democracy in Nigeria could serve as an example for other African countries, inspiring them to take a more open approach to democratic ideals.