27 incidents on record
What went wrong, and where.
Incidents during Nigerian elections since 1999: violence, ballot snatching, vote buying, missing materials, technology failures and court rulings. Each entry says where it happened and links to the reporting it is based on.
Vote buying
· 2024
Ondo 2024: vote buying and the lowest turnout since 1999
Civil society groups reported widespread vote buying in the 2024 Ondo governorship election, which also recorded the state's lowest turnout since 1999.
Ondo State · 16 Nov 2024
Result irregularities
· 2024
Edo 2024: disputed collation of the governorship result
Observers raised concerns that some collated results in the 2024 Edo governorship election did not match the polling unit sheets on IReV.
Edo State · 21 Sep 2024
Court & tribunal
· 2024
Supreme Court restores Kano governor Abba Kabir Yusuf
After the tribunal and the Court of Appeal removed him, the Supreme Court restored the election of NNPP governor Abba Kabir Yusuf.
Kano State · 12 Jan 2024
Result irregularities
· 2023
Pre-filled result sheets in the Kogi 2023 governorship election
INEC suspended the election in Ogori/Magongo after its officials found result sheets that had already been filled in before voting ended.
Ogori/Magongo LGA, Kogi State · 11 Nov 2023
Voter intimidation
· 2023
Voters attacked in Lagos during the 2023 elections
Observers reported attacks on voters and polling units in parts of Lagos during the 2023 elections, including ethnically charged threats.
Lagos State · 18 Mar 2023
Technology (card readers, BVAS, IReV)
· 2023
Presidential results not uploaded to IReV in real time
Polling unit results for the presidential election did not appear on IReV for hours after voting closed, while results for other races did.
Nationwide · 25 Feb 2023
Insecurity & attacks
· 2022
Arson attacks on INEC offices in 15 states
INEC recorded about 50 attacks on its offices in 15 states between 2019 and late 2022, destroying ballot boxes, voting machines and vehicles.
Imo, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra and 11 other states · 1 Dec 2022
Court & tribunal
· 2020
Bayelsa governor-elect disqualified a day before swearing-in
The Supreme Court ruled that David Lyon's running mate submitted false certificates, and handed the governorship to the PDP's Douye Diri.
Bayelsa State · 13 Feb 2020
Court & tribunal
· 2020
Supreme Court installs Hope Uzodimma as Imo governor
The Supreme Court removed Emeka Ihedioha and declared Hope Uzodimma, fourth in INEC's results, the winner after adding results from 388 polling units.
Imo State · 14 Jan 2020
Violence
· 2019
Salome Abuh burned alive in her home during the Kogi election
Salome Abuh, a PDP women's leader, was killed when suspected political thugs set fire to her home a day after the November 2019 Kogi governorship election.
Wada Aro, Ochadamu, Ofu LGA, Kogi State · 18 Nov 2019
Violence
· 2019
Bayelsa 2019 governorship election violence
Observers recorded killings, gunfire and ballot snatching around the November 2019 Bayelsa governorship election, won by the APC's David Lyon.
Bayelsa State · 16 Nov 2019
Court & tribunal
· 2019
Supreme Court voids every APC victory in Zamfara
The Supreme Court ruled that the APC held no valid primaries in Zamfara, so all its votes were wasted and its seats went to the runners-up.
Zamfara State · 24 May 2019
Voter intimidation
· 2019
Kano governorship rerun in Gama ward
Observers and journalists reported thugs attacking voters and reporters during the supplementary governorship election in Gama ward.
Gama ward, Nasarawa LGA, Kano State · 23 Mar 2019
Insecurity & attacks
· 2019
Soldiers in Rivers State during the 2019 elections
INEC suspended the Rivers governorship process in March 2019 after soldiers and armed men disrupted collation centres.
Rivers State · 9 Mar 2019
Ballot snatching
· 2019
Ballot materials burned in Okota, Lagos
Thugs attacked polling units in Okota, Lagos, during the 2019 presidential election, burning ballot boxes and papers and chasing voters away.
Okota, Oshodi-Isolo, Lagos State · 23 Feb 2019
Postponement & cancellation
· 2019
Presidential election postponed hours before polls opened
INEC postponed the 2019 presidential and National Assembly elections by one week at about 2:30 a.m. on polling day, citing logistics problems.
Nationwide · 16 Feb 2019
Postponement & cancellation
· 2018
Osun 2018: declared inconclusive, then decided in a rerun
Ademola Adeleke led by 353 votes, but cancelled votes exceeded the margin, so INEC ordered a rerun in seven polling units. Gboyega Oyetola won after the rerun.
Osun State · 27 Sep 2018
Vote buying
· 2018
Ekiti 2018: open vote buying at polling units
Observers reported cash being openly handed to voters near polling units in the 2018 Ekiti governorship election won by Kayode Fayemi.
Ekiti State · 14 Jul 2018
Violence
· 2016
Rivers rerun elections marred by killings
The December 2016 legislative rerun elections in Rivers State were disrupted by armed gangs, killings and attacks on election materials.
Rivers State · 10 Dec 2016
Technology (card readers, BVAS, IReV)
· 2015
President Jonathan cannot be accredited by a card reader
Smart card readers failed to verify voters in many areas, including the President's own polling unit in Otuoke, and INEC allowed manual accreditation.
Otuoke, Ogbia LGA, Bayelsa State · 28 Mar 2015
Voter intimidation
· 2014
"Ekitigate": soldiers and the 2014 Ekiti governorship
A leaked recording, released in 2015, allegedly captured politicians and a soldier discussing the use of the military to influence the 2014 Ekiti election.
Ekiti State · 21 Jun 2014
Violence
· 2011
Youth corps members killed in Bauchi after the 2011 vote
Ten National Youth Service Corps members who had served as election staff were killed in the post-election violence in Bauchi State.
Giade, Bauchi State · 18 Apr 2011
Protests & unrest
· 2011
Post-election riots kill more than 800 in northern Nigeria
Protests over Goodluck Jonathan's victory turned into riots and reprisal killings across twelve northern states, the deadliest election violence of the Fourth Republic.
Twelve northern states, worst in southern Kaduna · 17 Apr 2011
Ballot snatching
· 2007
The 2007 elections: ballot boxes seized and at least 300 killed
Gangs seized ballot boxes in several states, and Human Rights Watch reported at least 300 deaths around the 2007 elections, widely regarded as Nigeria's worst.
Nationwide, notably Katsina, Rivers, Oyo and Gombe · 21 Apr 2007
This archive records what reliable media, observer groups and courts reported. Inclusion is not a finding of guilt against any person or party. Corrections: solitech@elect.ng