Africa's Biggest Democracy Fights Enduring Problem: Vote Rigging
- Nigerian bill seeks to stop ballot snatching, vote buying
- New legislation tightens controls before February elections
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) members wait to register before voting for a candidate, n Port Harcourt, on Oct. 6.
Photographer: Pius Utomi Ekpei/AFP via Getty Images
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As Nigeria heads toward general elections in February, it’s in a race to stamp out the bane of the voting system in Africa’s biggest democracy: rigging.
Ballot snatching and buying, underage and multiple voting, falsifying results and the suppression of turnout in opposition areas are among the abuses the National Assembly is trying to tackle with new legislation. The bill, passed last month, emerged from talks among the presidency, lawmakers and civic groups. As it awaits President Muhammadu Buhari’s signature, time is running out.