Electoral Integrity, Security and the Nigerian Possibility: Kalu’s Message from Chatham House

By Udora Orizu

“A true patriot is one who refuses to give up on the Nigerian Promise and remains committed to the potential that remains trapped beneath the surface of our current challenges.” – Prof. Chinua Achebe

Those words from literary icon Chinua Achebe capture a leadership philosophy built on hope, resilience and an unwavering belief in Nigeria’s capacity to overcome its challenges.

That philosophy found resonance in the message delivered by the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rt. Hon. Benjamin Kalu, PhD, CFR, at the Chatham House Africa Programme Roundtable in London, June 23rd.

Speaking on the theme, “Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: How to Ensure Electoral Integrity Amid a Deepening Security Crisis,” Kalu presented Nigeria not as a nation defined by its difficulties, but as a democracy undergoing transformation, one whose imperfections are matched by institutional reforms, public resilience and an enduring commitment to democratic renewal.

His message was clear: Nigeria is not a failed experiment. It is a work in progress.

Democracy Through the Lens of Possibility
Nigeria’s democratic journey has not been without setbacks. Electoral disputes, insecurity and institutional weaknesses have tested public confidence. Yet, since the return to civilian rule in 1999, the country has maintained uninterrupted constitutional governance, conducted successive elections and continued to strengthen democratic institutions.

For the lawmaker, these milestones matter.
“Nigeria’s democracy is not retreating; it is advancing imperfectly, sometimes painfully, but still advancing. We choose reform over resignation. We choose to build even when building is hard, even when the work is unfinished, even when the critics are watching for failure,” Kalu told the gathering.

He argued that the credibility of Nigeria’s democracy rests fundamentally on protecting the sanctity of the ballot.

“The sanctity of the ballot is the thread on which Nigeria’s legitimacy and continuity hang. We will protect it in the hard places and deliver it everywhere, because a Nigerian’s vote is the Nigerian’s to cast, whether it be in Maiduguri, no less than in Lagos, in Bende, no less than in Abuja. Nigeria is not a problem awaiting international solutions. Nigeria is a possibility, one that is day by day, reform by reform, election by election, making itself real.”

Building Confidence in the Electoral System

Kalu noted that Nigeria’s democracy has reached important milestones, including 27 years of uninterrupted constitutional government, seven consecutive general elections and continued participation by millions of citizens across a diverse federation.

He stressed that two realities must exist together: Nigeria’s challenges are genuine, but so are the efforts to address them.

“The challenges are real, and Nigeria’s response to them is equally real. Both are true.”

A major part of that response, he explained, is electoral reform. Reflecting on the 2023 elections, Kalu acknowledged both achievements and shortcomings.

The introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) under the Electoral Act 2022 improved voter accreditation and strengthened safeguards against malpractice. However, challenges surrounding electronic result transmission, infrastructure limitations and litigation exposed areas requiring further reform. The Electoral Act 2026, according to Kalu, was designed to address those gaps.

He highlighted five major reforms expected to shape the 2027 elections.

First, electronic transmission of results has become a legal obligation. Once polling unit results are completed and authenticated, they must be transmitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV). For the first time, IReV records are recognised as admissible evidence in election tribunals.

Second, the law provides INEC with limited powers to review declarations made under duress or contrary to established procedures. Third, a National Electronic Register of Election Results establishes a permanent database containing polling unit and collation records accessible through certified documentation.

Fourth, reforms to voter registration allow greater flexibility, including voter transfers, replacement of lost voter cards and continued registration closer to election dates.

Fifth, political parties must maintain verified digital membership registers submitted to INEC, reinforcing transparency in party primaries.

According to Kalu, these reforms address a longstanding weakness in Nigeria’s electoral system, the manipulation of party processes before candidates even reach the ballot.

“A party that cannot show its members cannot field its candidates,” he said.

Security and the Protection of Democracy

Beyond electoral reform, Kalu addressed concerns about insecurity and its impact on democratic participation.

He acknowledged that Nigeria’s security challenges have affected communities, displaced citizens and tested national institutions.

However, he argued that the narrative of unending decline does not fully reflect reality.

Citing data from independent conflict monitoring organisations, he said electoral violence has declined across successive election cycles, while government institutions continue to strengthen responses.

He pointed to increased security allocations, legislative oversight and policy reforms as evidence of a broader institutional effort.

Since the inauguration of the 10th Assembly in 2023, security and defence allocations have increased significantly, reflecting the priority placed on national security.

Kalu also highlighted legislative actions, including reviews of security laws, oversight of security agencies and ongoing constitutional reforms aimed at improving accountability.

State Police and a New Security Architecture

One of the most significant reforms discussed was the push for state police.

Kalu described decentralised policing as necessary for a country of Nigeria’s size and complexity.

“The officer who knows the forest will police the forest better than those hired from outside,” he opined

According to him, the proposed framework includes merit-based recruitment, national standards, independent oversight mechanisms and constitutional limitations against abuse.

His words, “We have passed the revised Cybercrimes Act 2024 and the Control of Small Arms and Light Weapons Act 2024. We are advancing the Joint Doctrine and Warfare Centre Bill to institutionalise coordination across the armed forces. We are considering constitutional alteration bills to introduce formal key performance appraisals for Nigeria’s security leadership, from the Inspector-General of Police to the Chief of Defence Staff. Accountability for security outcomes is becoming a legislative requirement, not an optional courtesy. The reform I want to speak about most specifically, because it bears most directly on the 2027 elections, is the State Police Bill, the legacy initiative of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which the House of Representatives passed with 289 votes.

“And as I speak here right now, the Senate is in chamber considering this bill for further legislative actions. The case for state police begins with a simple question about response time. When a security incident occurs in a Nigerian community today, how long does it take for help to arrive? The honest answer, in too many communities, is: too long. Studies of centralised policing in large federations consistently demonstrate that response times beyond 15 minutes allow situations to escalate from manageable to irreversible. In communities distant from federal police infrastructure, that window closes long before the response arrives. Nigeria’s current centralised policing architecture was designed before independence. It was not designed for the security complexity of a 923,000 square kilometre or a population of over 230 million people in 2026.”

A Message of Partnership to the World

In his closing remarks, Kalu called for a more balanced international understanding of Nigeria.

“Nigeria has not arrived. We know this better than anyone. 27 years of democracy is, by the measure of nations, a young journey. We have made mistakes. We have faced security challenges that have tested the limits of our institutions And we have not always had the answers we wished we had. But we have never stopped asking the right questions. And we have never stopped building. What I have shared today is not a finished story. It is a progress report from a legislature that is working, that is learning, and that believes deeply that the democratic project in Nigeria is worth every difficult reform it demands.

“To the distinguished policymakers, diplomats and scholars in this room, I say this with genuine humility: we do not come here as a country that has figured it out. We come as a country that is figuring it out, in real time, under real pressure. If there are things you are seeing from where you sit that we are not seeing from where we stand, we want to know. If your analysis reveals gaps in our legal framework that our legislative process missed, we welcome your analysis and feedback. If your experience in other democratic contexts offers lessons that could strengthen what we are building, we are listening. As Chairman of the House Committee on the Review of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, I have sat at the intersection of every question this address has raised: electoral law, security architecture, constitutional reform, the protection of the displaced and the decentralisation of policing. It has been the defining work of my legislative life. And I can tell you, from that vantage point, that Nigeria’s democracy is not retreating; it is advancing imperfectly, sometimes painfully, but still advancing,” Kalu said

For the Deputy Speaker, the Nigerian story is not one of impossibility. It is a story still being written through reforms and the determination of citizens who continue to believe in the promise of their country.

*Orizu is SA Press Affairs to the Deputy Speaker