A public affairs analyst, Basheer Luqman, has called for deeper reforms in Nigeria’s electoral process, stressing that improving elections goes beyond voter registration and requires stronger institutions, constitutional review, patriotism and national unity.
Speaking during an interview on Adamimogo 105.1FM current affairs program, INSIDE SCOOP, Luqman said while the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise remains important, Nigeria must also address the challenge of registered voters failing to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
He noted that despite Nigeria recording millions of registered voters in previous elections, a significant number failed to complete the process by collecting their voter cards.
“Sometimes it is not just about the registration. It is also about those who have registered and how they collect their PVCs. That has been another challenge facing Nigeria in the last three electoral cycles,” he said.
Luqman argued that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties and other stakeholders must work together to decentralise voter registration and PVC distribution to make the process more accessible, especially in rural communities.
According to him, INEC needs to deploy more technological tools and registration equipment to different wards and communities to ensure that eligible citizens are not excluded from the electoral process.
He also called for improved voter education, noting that many Nigerians have lost confidence in elections due to the perception that their votes do not count.
“People are no longer seeing voting as something important because they have lost that trust and faith. But with quality voter education, people should understand that it is their civic responsibility,” he said.
The analyst further urged Nigeria to embrace more digital solutions in the electoral process, saying the country must move beyond outdated systems and make registration platforms easier, more accessible and user-friendly.
Luqman also disagreed with the idea that Nigerians should give up on democracy because of existing challenges, arguing that abandoning the electoral process would hand over the nation’s future to those benefiting from its weaknesses.
“To give up on Nigeria is to surrender the collective future of over 200 million people to the very forces that profit from its dysfunction,” he said.
He acknowledged concerns raised by some analysts that Nigeria’s democratic foundation requires urgent attention, but insisted that meaningful change remains possible through deliberate reforms.
According to him, one of the major issues affecting Nigeria’s development is a lack of patriotism among citizens and leaders.
“Patriotism is not blind optimism. It is the stubborn, continuous labour of fixing that foundation we are talking about,” Luqman said.
He criticised what he described as “stomach infrastructure politics”, where politicians provide temporary assistance during election periods instead of investing in human capital development and long-term solutions.
The analyst also identified constitutional reform as a critical area requiring attention, arguing that certain provisions of the nation’s constitution must be reviewed to ensure fairness, accountability and justice.
“If the constitution is serving the elites and giving injurious acts rewards against the poor, then we are not going to move forward,” he said.
Luqman concluded that national unity and a shared sense of responsibility are essential for Nigeria’s progress, stressing that citizens must embrace the philosophy that challenges affecting one part of the country should concern everyone.
He said Nigeria can only move forward when citizens see themselves as one people with a collective stake in the nation’s future.
