By Nwabueze Obadiah(Obed) obednigeria@gmail.com
Nigeria’s democracy derives its legitimacy not from political parties or electoral bodies, but from the Constitution and the sovereign will of the people. Any electoral process that undermines this principle strikes at the very foundation of the Nigerian state.
Section 14(2)(a) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) is unequivocal: sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria, from whom government derives all its powers and authority. Elections, therefore, are not a favour granted by the ruling party but a constitutional mechanism through which the people exercise that sovereignty.
Furthermore, Section 14(2)(c) establishes that the participation of the people in their government shall be ensured. An electoral system that allows manipulation, opacity, or selective application of technology effectively denies citizens meaningful participation in governance and violates this constitutional mandate.
The Constitution also vests the responsibility of conducting elections in an independent body. Under Section 153 and Paragraph 15 of the Third Schedule, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is charged with the duty of organising, undertaking, and supervising elections. This responsibility carries an implied constitutional obligation to adopt procedures that guarantee transparency, credibility, and public confidence. Any process that enables results to be altered between polling units and collation centres defeats the spirit of this mandate.
Sections 78 and 117–119 further reinforce the constitutional importance of elections as the legitimate pathway to political power. These provisions make it clear that elected offices—whether legislative or executive—must emerge from a process that genuinely reflects the choice of the electorate. Where that choice is distorted, the constitutional legitimacy of the resulting government becomes morally and democratically questionable.
The selective use or deliberate suppression of transparent electoral mechanisms, especially in a presidential election, raises serious constitutional concerns. When citizens vote but cannot trust that their votes will be accurately transmitted, counted, and reflected in final results, the constitutional promise of popular sovereignty is hollowed out.
In a political environment where the ruling party controls the majority of state governments and dominates the National Assembly, there can be no justification for fear of transparent elections. The Constitution does not recognise electoral manipulation as a tool of political survival. On the contrary, it demands that power must flow freely from the people, without coercion, fraud, or intimidation.
This is why Nigerians must remain vigilant. Defending the vote is not an act of defiance—it is an act of constitutional loyalty. Citizens who insist on transparent elections are not opposing the state; they are upholding it.
Democracy cannot survive on ritual voting alone. It survives when the Constitution is respected, the people’s will is protected, and elections are conducted in a manner that leaves no room for doubt.
Protect your vote.
Defend the Constitution.
Your voice is your power.