Unpacking the 2023 Off-cycle Elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States

Off-cycle elections were recently held in three Nigerian states (Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi). Despite the efforts of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other stakeholders, there were claims of irregularities and violence, demonstrating that barely anything had changed. A Nextier Policy Weekly noted that the political class and their supporters in these states could use violence to gain political positions before and during the off-cycle elections. This vulnerability to violence is also compounded by the dominant, violent conflict issues besetting the states.

In this edition of the Nextier Policy Weekly, Nextier examines the recently concluded off-cycle elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States. It covers the causes, players, and occurrences (such as violence, vote buying, voter indifference, and ballot box snatching). Overall, it investigates the concept of off-cycle elections and interrogates whether it slows down the pace of governance. It examines whether off-cycle elections impede policy and governance advancement.

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