GODWIN SOGOLO argues that Nigeria’s electoral process is too deeply compromised by corruption to make any meaningful change
Nigeria is not the United States of America. Consequently, our electoral processes cannot be expected to mirror those of the United States, nor should Nigerians be expected to behave exactly like Americans in the exercise of their democratic rights. These are fundamental distinctions worth establishing at the outset – if only to pre-empt those who might question the appropriateness of drawing comparisons between the recently concluded US midterm elections and Nigeria’s forthcoming general elections in January 2027.
There are, however, other fundamental facts that cannot be ignored. First, the presidential system of government practised in Nigeria is borrowed – almost wholesale – from the United States of America. Second, Western democracy is founded on certain principles and values against which its success or failure is measured. Perhaps even more fundamentally – whether American or Nigerian – we are all human beings, endowed with the common faculties of rationality, free will and the capacity to make independent choices.
For the purpose of this comparison, it is worth emphasising that the circumstances that led to the outcome of the American midterm elections were – in many respects – remarkably similar to those confronting us here in Nigeria: the rising cost of living, declining affordability (extreme hardship in the case of Nigeria) corruption and the consequences of bad governance.
Prior to the American midterm elections of November 3, 2026, much of the world had been grappling with economic difficulties, compounded by President Donald Trump’s arbitrary imposition of tariffs on several countries and, in particular, his war against the Islamic Republic of Iran. Today, protests are erupting in various parts of the world – particularly across Europe – in response to the resulting economic and political disruptions.
The United States itself has not been insulated from these challenges, and American voters made their discontent unmistakably clear at the ballot box. The outcome – widely described as a “blue tsunami” – saw the Democrats make significant gains in the US Congress.
One of the newly elected senators, James Talarico of Texas, delivered a memorable victory speech in which he emphasised the triumph of ordinary people over money and political power. He referred to the huge amount of half a billion dollars reportedly deployed by the world’s richest man, Elon Musk, in an attempt to prevent his victory. He likened his electoral success to “the underdog defeating the powerful” – invoking the biblical story of David and Goliath.
Talarico also accused powerful interests of exploiting divisions along political, racial, gender, religious and cultural lines to distract and manipulate ordinary citizens – a strategy also commonly used by Nigerian political leaders in their treatment of disadvantaged populations. His central message was that political differences should not prevent citizens from recognising their common interests and using their votes to demand accountability from those who govern them. The critical question is: Can Nigerian voters demonstrate a similar capacity to use their electoral mandate to demand accountability and bring about meaningful political change?
Before attempting to answer this question, it is important to correct a possible misconception. Nigeria’s challenges cannot be attributed entirely to external forces or impositions. Long before the introduction of tariffs and Trump’s war on Iran, Nigerians were already grappling with severe economic hardship; these external developments have merely compounded an already dire situation. For decades, bad governance, greed, corruption and poorly conceived policies of successive administrations have been at the root of many of the country’s persistent problems.
Political leaders have reduced the quality of life of Nigerians to a level barely above subsistence, with the consequences felt across virtually every facet of life – economically, socially and educationally. The Nigerian middle class has almost been wiped out. With the collapse of the nation’s security system, farming has become an increasingly unviable occupation for many farmers. The educational system is in serious decline, with parents increasingly unable to afford school fees. More generally, millions of Nigerians can barely afford the basic necessities of life, including food, healthcare and transportation. Thus, the indicators of a system in deep crisis are glaring everywhere. Much of this has been due to the disastrous failure of the political leadership.
Now, back to the question: can the Nigerian electorate – like the Americans have successfully done – rescue the nation? The answer is doubtful – perhaps even improbable, if not seemingly impossible. The electoral process itself is too deeply compromised by corruption to make such an outcome likely! Furthermore, unlike their American counterparts, Nigerians are widely perceived as being less capable of exercising their electoral mandate to bring about corrective change through the ballot box. The explanation often advanced is that, whereas a substantial proportion of the American electorate retain the moral independence and integrity necessary to hold their leaders accountable, the Nigerian situation presents a strikingly different picture.
As the renowned paediatrician, Professor Emeritus Ajovi B. Scott-Emuakpor of Michigan State University, aptly observes: “In an impoverished society, where millions struggle for the basic necessities of life, even a relatively small gift can become an instrument of political persuasion. Poverty makes political allegiance vulnerable to transactional inducements.”
The Professor is absolutely right. Most Nigerians have been so thoroughly subjugated, humiliated and psychologically broken by their circumstances that they have come to see their salvation in the very individuals and forces responsible for their predicament. Yet, we must never lose hope. After all, as a former First Lady famously reminded us: “There is God o!”
Sogolo is an Emeritus Professor who has taught and conducted research in Philosophy for over five decades – at the University of Ibadan, Cardiff University of Wales and currently at the National Open University of Nigeria.