The Executive Director of Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA), Ezenwa Nwagwu, has raised concern over what he described as Nigerians‘ incredible lack of understanding of the legal framework governing elections. He warned that this knowledge gap continues to fuel widespread misinformation about electoral processes.
Nwagwu spoke in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at a town hall meeting organised by PAACA with support from the MacArthur Foundation.
The PAACA Executive Director noted that much of the falsehood about Nigeria’s elections is rooted in a poor understanding of poll laws and procedures.
He noted that increasing sensitisation and voter education will be crucial to countering misinformation and growing confidence in the electoral system.
Nwagwu noted that as Nigeria moves toward the 2027 general elections, there is a need to prioritise voter education and sustained civic enlightenment, expressing worry that politicians are exploiting voters‘ ignorance of electoral laws and processes.
The town hall meeting, part of PAACA‘s ongoing campaign to promote a better understanding of the electoral process, included representatives from INEC, Security agencies, traditional leaders, the National Orientation Agency, Civil society organisations, and the media.
He said, “Lack of understanding of the legal regime with which elections are conducted has been responsible for some of the falsehood and misinformation around electoral processes.“
“It has been humbling to see the level of ignorance, and we are happy to use this platform to educate stakeholders and bridge that gap,“ he added.
Nwagwu further reminded participants that elections remain a people-driven process, and reforms can not succeed without a sound understanding of the rules and new technological innovations infused to enhance. Support and guide the electoral practice.
He expressed concern over what he described as “community collusion,” which he said undermines elections and weakens accountability at the subnational level.
“As stakeholders, some of us are guilty. We should be agents of change beyond short-term benefits,” he said. “If INEC has put the power in your hands, then you should seek ways of maximising that power instead of devaluing it. We should be students of the law because politicians study the law to use it as a tool to undermine the process.”
Highlighting the importance of sustained civic engagement, the PAACA boss urged participants not to remain passive but to cascade the knowledge gained from the town hall into their communities and areas of expertise.
“The value of this program is in cascading it to our various areas of specialisation. We must not just be warm benchers and keep quiet amid so much information gathered today,” Nwagwu said.
Nwagwu added that PAACA will continue to engage stakeholders through town halls and other platforms to deepen public understanding of the electoral process and strengthen democratic participation.
Also speaking at the event, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kwara State, Dr Hale Gabriel Longpet, commended PAACA for organising the forum, describing it as timely for reflecting on the gains of past elections and charting areas of improvement ahead of 2027.
Longpet restated the Commission‘s commitment to continuously educate voters on the electoral process and promote voter awareness and participation.
He emphasised that INEC’s mandate is to conduct free, fair, and transparent elections that reflect the people‘s will. This task requires collective effort from civil society, political parties, the media, security agencies, the judiciary, and other stakeholders.
“Together, we can work towards promoting voter education, ensuring adherence to relevant rules and regulations, preventing electoral malpractices, providing essential services, and enhancing the overall electoral process,” he said.
Reviewing the 2023 elections, he noted that despite challenges, the polls showcased the resilience of Nigeria’s democracy. The Electoral Act 2022 introduced reforms and innovations such as the INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED), the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal, which boosted transparency.
However, he identified persistent challenges such as premature campaigning, electoral violence, insecurity, and vote buying.
He disclosed that INEC had forwarded 142 post-election recommendations to the National Assembly, eight of which required constitutional or Electoral Act amendments.
The REC listed key priorities in the future, including better planning and logistics, stronger inter-agency collaboration for election security, continuous voter education to tackle apathy and misinformation, and greater transparency and accountability leveraging technology.
