…As concerns mount over 2027 poll
On election day in Ghana in 2024, the mood was calm. Voters queued patiently, polling officials worked with quiet efficiency, and results flowed with minimal drama. By the end of the process, Ghana had once again reinforced its reputation as one of Africa’s most credible democracies.
Among the observers was Mahmood Yakubu, then chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). His verdict was clear.
“We are grateful that the election has gone very well. The process and its outcome so far have been commendable,” Yakubu said.
Sam Amankwe, a Ghanian lecturer, who did not want to sound patronising, noted that Ghana has over time become an example of stable democracy, which the international community always uses as a reference.
“Our general elections are held on December 7th of every four years, but you will never hear noise, people go about their business, while our politicians do not see election as a do or die affair. We did not get there overnight.
“It is all about efficient management of the electoral process knowing well that we have less resources and need leaders that will be prudent at managing it to further our socio-economic development and peaceful co-existence,” he said.
Amankwe did not deny the possibility of electoral fraud, but insisted that they are at a very negligible level because the system will dictate that and the people will fight back.
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Also, Senegal’s 2024 presidential election, which brought Bassirou Diomaye Faye to power, offers another regional comparison. Despite political tensions ahead of the poll, domestic and international observers described the process as largely transparent and credible.
Sadly, for many Nigerians watching the smooth electoral process in Ghana from across the border, the contrast has always been painful.
In 2023, a year earlier than Ghana’s election, Nigeria conducted its own general election, an exercise that cost N313.4 billion and yet left the country deeply divided, angry and distrustful of its electoral system.
Technological failures, logistical breakdowns and allegations of manipulation overshadowed what should have been a democratic milestone. Three years on, those wounds have not healed, and anxiety is already building ahead of the 2027 polls.
Regional comparison
What separates Ghana, and increasingly Senegal, from Nigeria is not simply money or technology. It is discipline, clarity of process and political will.
Ghana’s Electoral Commission (EC) approached the 2024 election with meticulous planning and restrained ambition. Rather than overloading the system with complex innovations, it focused on fundamentals: timely logistics, trained personnel, voter education and transparent collation. The result was an election largely free of disruptions and disputes.
Nigeria, by contrast, entered the 2023 elections armed with sophisticated tools but fragile execution. INEC introduced the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to enhance transparency.
Yet, at critical moments, these systems failed. Results were delayed or not uploaded as promised. Polling units opened late. Equipment malfunctioned. Each failure chipped away public confidence.
“The results were unbelievable and I just felt numb right now. It was a feeling of hopelessness that the results did not reflect what people say,” said Michael, a 30-year-old law undergraduate at Lagos State University, on the 2023 presidential poll.
Due to the controversial nature elections are conducted in Nigeria, losers often end up in court disputing the outcome. In recent years election winners are determined by the judiciary.
Ghana’s elections are not cheap, but they are cost-conscious. In Nigeria, the scale of spending has become a controversy in itself.
Despite the N313.4 billion price tag of the 2023 election, many Nigerians are wondering what exactly the country pays for? Critics cite inefficiency, inflated contracts and weak oversight.
“When enormous resources produce chaotic outcomes, suspicions of waste and corruption are inevitable,” Akeem Tola, a public affairs commentator, said.
Reasons for electoral feats in some neighbouring countries
What goes for Ghana, according to Kojo Frimpong, a Ghanaian lawyer, includes; participation is little or no cost on candidates and the parties (inclusive of nomination forms), distaste for vote buying, no violence and maturity of the politicians who do not see election as a do or die affair, hence they easily concede defeat at every election.
The December 7, 2016 general election witnessed such maturity as John Mahama, the incumbent president of the National Democratic Congress, who conceded defeat to Nana Akufo-Addo of New Patriotic Party, the opposition party, elected president on his third attempt.
The same happened during the December 7, 2024 general electionwhen Mahamudu Bawumia, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate, conceded defeat to John Mahama, a former president, and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate.
The lawyer also attributed Ghana’s thriving democracy to electoral victories by majority of the votes, absence of a runoff and determination of the electorate to vote in better candidates not minding their religious, political or tribal differences.
“In Ghana, it is the candidate that can deliver that we vote for. No party, church, mosque or traditional ruler can influence the choice and result,” he said.
In Senegal, the incumbent presidents have been defeated on several occasions without the country burning. The most recent is the 2024 general election where Bassirou Diomaye Faye, running in place of Ousmane Sonko, defeated Amadou Ba, the candidate of the ruling United in Hope (BBY) coalition, who peacefully conceded defeat.
Also, Senegal has improved on its anti-craft fight, scaring corrupt people from politics. In January 2019, Khalifa Sall and Karim Wade, two opposition leaders, were barred from participating due to previous convictions for misuse of public funds.
Awa Ndiaye, a Dakar-based political analyst, said Senegal’s experience demonstrated the importance of institutional independence.
“There were strong political interests at play, but the electoral authorities maintained procedural integrity, and that made acceptance of the results possible,” she said.
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Unmatched turnout of voters vs voter apathy
Turnout for Ghana’s December 7, 2016 general election was 69.25 percent and 63.97 percent for December 7, 2024, while Senegal recorded 61.30 percent turnout in its 2024 elections, all pointing to better managed processes and assurance of votes counting.
Sadly, in Nigeria, the February 23, 24, 2019 general election witnessed a very low turnout of 34.75 percent, while the February 25, 2023 general election witnessed one of the lowest turnouts as a mere 26.71 percent of the registered voters exercised their civic rights.
The above is a cause for worry for some concerned people as they anticipate further decline in turnout in the 2027 general election, as the political class still sees elections as a do-or-die affair.
Public trust, institutions shape electoral outcomes in West Africa
As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general election, analysts are increasingly comparing its electoral process with those of Ghana and Senegal, pointing to public trust and institutional strength as key differentiators.
Election observers note that Ghana’s Electoral Commission has built credibility over several electoral cycles through consistent engagement with political parties, civil society organisations and the media. According to Kwame Asare, a governance researcher based in Accra, this openness has helped reduce post-election tensions.
“Even when results are tight, stakeholders generally accept outcomes because they trust the process,” Asare said. “That trust acts as a stabilising factor.”
In Nigeria, however, INEC operates in a more polarised environment. Allegations of bias and logistical failures have become regular features of election cycles, often leading to prolonged legal battles and protests. Data from recent elections also show declining voter turnout, reflecting growing public skepticism.
Clement Nwankwo, Executive Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), said repeated disputes over results have weakened confidence in democratic institutions.
“When elections consistently end up in court, citizens begin to question whether their votes truly count,” Nwankwo said. “That erosion of trust has long-term consequences for participation.”
Scale, political culture and reform debates
Nigerian officials often cite the country’s size and complexity as major challenges. With elections conducted simultaneously at federal, state and local levels across a population of more than 200 million, logistics and coordination remain daunting.
However, governance experts argue that scale alone does not account for the persistent problems. They point instead to weak enforcement of electoral rules and a political culture in which contests are seen as zero-sum.
Samson Itodo, executive director, YIAGA Africa, said the pressure to win at all costs has contributed to voter intimidation, suppression of opposition activities and rising political intolerance in some states.
Experts say state institutions aiding electoral fraud in Nigeria
Experts say the prevalence of electoral fraud in Nigeria has been aided by state institutions, arguing that the process is likely to continue in the 2027 general election if the Electoral Act and these institutions are not strengthened.
Speaking to BusinessDay, Sylvester Odion-Akhaine, a professor of Political Science and human rights activist, said that there is absence of free and fair elections in Nigeria, stressing that virtually all the elections since 1999 had been rigged in absolute disregard to the democratic method anchored on the principle of consent of the governed.
Odion-Akhaine noted that in Ghana unlike in Nigeria, the Electoral Commission, the Judiciary, and Security Agencies demonstrated institutional strength through resilience, professionalism, and impartial adjudication of electoral matters.
“The political elite constitutes its most hideous façade. Politics has become the only game in town due to the opportunity it provides for the blatant looting of public resources”, the professor said.
Similarly, Temitope Musowo, public policy expert, said that Nigeria was not serious about the conduct of elections, since lawmakers appear not keen on enacting strong laws to check electoral fraud.
He said that Nigeria could not be compared to Ghana, noting that the current system was benefitting the few and may likely be in place in 2027, if nothing is done.
“Some people are happy that elections are not credible, or that INEC is powerless to use electronics to check electoral fraud. That is why it is difficult to enact electronic voting ahead of 2027,” he said.
