INEC: New Voter Education Manuals Signal Fresh Push To Boost Participation Ahead Of 2027 Polls

New voter education manuals. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alongside key national and international partners, has launched the updated National Voter Education Manual and a youth-focused Civic and Voter Education Manual, in a renewed push to tackle voter apathy and strengthen democratic participation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The event, held at Reiz Continental Hotel, brought together stakeholders from government agencies, civil society organisations, development partners, and youth groups, in their call for a more informed and engaged electorate.

In his welcome address, Mohammed Haruna, Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, highlighted the steady decline in voter turnout since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.

He noted that participation has dropped from over 60% in 2003 to below 30% in recent elections, stressing that while Nigerians may take the right to vote for granted, many lack the knowledge or motivation to exercise it effectively.

Haruna explained that the manuals were developed in collaboration with the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) to both educate citizens and encourage greater electoral participation.

Delivering the keynote on behalf of INEC Chairman
Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, National Commissioner Malam Haruna warned that voter apathy remains one of the biggest threats to Nigeria’s democracy.

He pointed to data from recent elections showing a widening participation gap, where a minority determines leadership for the majority.

The Commission reaffirmed that the Electoral Act 2026 strengthens transparency through improved legal frameworks and electronic processes but emphasized that laws alone cannot solve disengagement.
“An indifferent electorate is a democracy in retreat,” the keynote stressed, calling for sustained civic education to rebuild trust and participation.

In his remarks, Bukola Idowu, Team Leader of KDI, described the launch as more than a presentation of documents, calling it a strategic intervention to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic foundation.
He noted that the revised manual reflects new electoral laws, evolving technologies, and the realities of modern political participation, while the youth-friendly version is tailored to engage young Nigerians as voters, educators, and change agents.
Idowu stressed that declining turnout signals deeper issues of trust and awareness, which the initiative seeks to address through accessible and practical civic education tools.

Representing the Director-General of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Oluwakemi Afolayan emphasized that democracy is sustained not just through elections, but through values and informed citizenship.
She described the initiative as timely, noting that embedding civic education within the National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) framework will deepen grassroots engagement and create long-term impact.
“An informed electorate is the strongest defence against voter apathy, misinformation, and electoral violence,” she said.

Also speaking, Dr. Matthew Ayibakuro of the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office underscored the importance of sustained voter education in ensuring credible and inclusive elections.
He noted that elections are not one-day events but the outcome of continuous civic awareness and public trust, adding that the manuals will play a vital role in equipping citizens to participate meaningfully.

New Voter Education Manuals

Providing an overview, Victoria Eta-Messi, Director of Voter Education and Publicity at INEC, explained that the manual has been comprehensively revised to align with the Electoral Act 2026.

She highlighted key updates, including changes to party primaries, campaign finance regulations, electoral offences, and the continued use of technologies like BVAS.
The manual, now structured into 11 modules, also incorporates global best practices and expanded digital engagement strategies to reach Nigeria’s tech-savvy population.

A major highlight of the launch is the integration of the civic manual into the NYSC Community Development Service (CDS), positioning corps members as frontline civic educators nationwide.

Stakeholders said this approach leverages peer-to-peer learning to spread democratic values across communities, schools, markets, and religious institutions.
Kimpact Global

El-Rufai Facing Political Persecution, He Shouldn’t Be Treated Like A Fugitive, Says Obi

El-Rufai facing political persecution. Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), has described the detention and trial of Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna, as “political persecution”.

Speaking in Kaduna during a stakeholders’ meeting of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Obi said el-Rufai is being treated as a fugitive despite returning to the country willingly from Egypt.

The former Anambra governor said the law stipulates that anyone accused of a crime should be treated with dignity until they are proven guilty.

“It is political persecution. We have a law, and that law allows for people to be treated with dignity until they are found guilty. Let our law prevail,” Obi said.

“How do you tell somebody you’re inviting him, and he came back voluntarily to the country, and you’re treating him like somebody who was running away.

“Let the law run its course. I have said it. I’ve written about it, and I continue to say so.”

Obi and el-Rufai recently joined the ADC as part of a gale of defectors who intend to unseat the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the centre in 2027.

In 2023, the ex-minister was one of Obi’s biggest critics .

THE ARREST

On February 12, there was mild drama at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, when security operatives attempted to arrest el-Rufai as he arrived from Cairo.

Muyiwa Adekeye, media aide to the former governor, alleged that operatives approached el-Rufai shortly after he disembarked from his flight but he declined to accompany them in the absence of a formal invitation.

On February 16, el-Rufai voluntarily presented himself at the headquarters of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

He has been in the custody of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) since February 19 — after he was released by the EFCC.

On March 5, the magistrate court extended the initial remand order for el-Rufai by another 14 days.

Peter Obi

There have been several calls for the commission to release or arraign el-Rufai.

El-Rufai had filed a fundamental rights suit before the federal high court in Abuja over the search conducted on his residence by the ICPC and the remand order issued on February 19.

The ICPC, the chief magistrate who issued the order, the inspector-general of police (IGP), and the attorney-general of the federation (AGF) are respondents in the suit.

On Tuesday morning, el-Rufai arrived at the federal high court in Kaduna for his arraignment.

Obi-Kwankwaso Ticket Will Unsettle Tinubu: DANIEL NNAMANI

Obi-Kwankwaso ticket will unsettle Tinubu. Twenty-four hours, as they say, in politics is a long time. The pendulum can swing from north to south. As the 2027 general election draws closer, political gladiators are, from all indications, regrouping and forming different alliances to further and consolidate their political interests.

While the glaring truth is that the opposition parties — PDP, LP, NNDP, and ADC — are all in tatters, there seems to be a way out if they truly want to offer an alternative to Nigerians.

The PDP, a party that once boasted that it would govern Nigeria for 50 years, is now a shadow of itself, mired by protracted internal wrangling that has led to the massive defection of its governors to the APC, except for Oyo state’s Seyi Makinde and his Bauchi state counterpart, Bala Mohammed. Without mincing words, the party seems decimated, and as it continues its power struggle among the two factions — one loyal to Makinde and another to FCT minister, Nyesom Wike — it will be practically impossible for the party to field any presidential candidate in 2027.

Now that the PDP is almost obliterated, the exit of Peter Obi from the LP has also rendered the party unviable for any meaningful contest in the upcoming election. This means that the only party that can field a candidate to challenge Tinubu is the ADC. But the ADC as a party seemed to be dominated more by politicians who are more concerned with becoming the party’s standard bearer, rather than forming a formidable platform that will rally around a credible candidate who has a chance to cling to victory in 2027.

The upcoming election will be basically between the APC and others, so the party has a duty to present a candidate with organic support that can withstand the APC’s power of incumbency. Make no mistakes, no party as of now can fight the APC in terms of established political structures, institutional manoeuvring, and financial war-chest to win an election in today’s Nigeria.

From every indication, the ruling party has performed abysmally low in most key indicators of governance. From security to economy to education and healthcare, the numbers are not really in favour of the APC. While it might be argued that the macroeconomic indicators are positive, what matters to the ordinary Nigerian, who is the voter, is the food on his table. The APC, in simple terms, has pauperised Nigerians, and it is indisputable.

Now is the time for the ADC to get that candidate who has large followers who are politically conscious and can galvanise towards the party without monetary inducement. Peter Obi has that organic followership. In the 2023 presidential election, he took an obscure LP to national prominence with his promise of financial probity, which resonated so well with urban and young voters. That large followership can be consolidated by the ADC.

As part of the Eid al-Fitr celebration, Obi has journeyed to Kano, where he was welcomed at the residence of NNPP national leader, Musa Rabiu Kwankwaso. At the gathering, members of the Kwankwasiya movement were also seen chanting “Obi-Kwankwaso,” and that chant might really be the joint ticket that can stand against Tinubu.

It has been reported that former President Olusegun Obasanjo is midwifing a joint ticket between Obi and Kwankwaso. And Kwankwaso himself has hinted that if he is offered a vice presidential slot in the ADC, he would be willing to accept it. But many fear that if Atiku gets the ticket of the ADC, then Kwankwaso’s defection becomes meaningless as he cannot deputise a northerner.

Kwankwaso, with his Kwankwasiya movement, and Obi, with his Obidient movement, can change the narrative of opposition and give Tinubu a run in the 2027 presidential election. This is because both movements are organic, and with Obi having a large followership in the south and Kwankwaso’s followership up north, the party, ADC, will be a party to beat in the next election.

Atiku Abubakar has a role to play in ensuring that ADC succeeds in the next election, but that role requires him to become a kingmaker rather than the king himself.

Obi-Kwankwaso

While it is his constitutional right to vie for any political office, there comes a time in a man’s life when he will take the back stage and allow fresh minds to have the day. History beckons to Atiku to do so.

Furthermore, the ADC can also explore the option of bringing the faction of the PDP that is loyal to Makinde to join the party and form a formidable opposition that has both resources and structures to win the election.

The ball is in their court, and how they play it will determine whether Nigerians will have an alternative to the APC in 2027. Time is ticking, and the earlier the ADC comes to this realisation, the better. A stitch in time saves nine.