Pwakim Jacob Choji

31/03/2026

https://youtu.be/JBFlRiH4kgo

Building Bridges for Peace II :From insight to action Learning Video.As part of knowledge sharing and learning dissemination, YIAVHA produced a learning vide...

15/02/2026

🇳🇬 Nigeria 2027
Fasting. Reflecting. Voting.

Feb 20 & Mar 6 — Ramadan & Lent meet the ballot.
Can a nation pray and vote with integrity at the same time? Maybe this is our democracy’s turning point or a complete defeat of religion as a platform that inspires honest behaviours.

13/02/2026

This week, I joined the NWG + SFRC briefing engaging the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Nigeria’s Electoral Act, the 2023 elections, and the outlook toward 2027.

I acknowledged the important reforms introduced under the Electoral Act 2022 — especially the adoption of technology, clearer timelines for pre-election dispute resolution, and faster post-election adjudication. These have contributed to improved institutional stability.

But 2023 also surfaced critical lessons:

• Public demand for electronic transmission transparency reflects a deeper trust deficit — not just a technical debate.

• Premature international endorsements of elections can unintentionally weaken domestic accountability. Democratic partnerships must remain principled and consistent.

• Institutional independence matters. When incumbents oversee security, anti-corruption, and financial regulatory bodies during elections they are contesting, public confidence suffers.

• Technology at polling units is not enough. If large volumes of cash continue to shape electoral behavior, vote-buying will persist — particularly in economically vulnerable communities. Financial transparency is electoral reform.

• Logistical failures must be interrogated carefully — especially in fragile communities where disruption can distort outcomes.

• And technology cannot defeat violence. Until perpetrators of electoral coercion are investigated and prosecuted, impunity will undermine reform.

As Nigeria looks toward 2027, strengthening electoral integrity requires more than improved procedures. It requires institutional independence, financial transparency, accountability for violence, and principled international engagement.