Should Everyone Vote?

In 2014, Nigeria became Africa’s largest economy under Goodluck Jonathan, but the expansion of its national output did not bring a corresponding improvement in the state’s ability to account for oil revenue or protect its citizens. 

Since Nigeria returned to civilian rule in 1999, civil society organizations have become central to its health system, delivering services while advocating for policy change. The 2027 elections will test whether two decades of institution-building have translated into real political influence for health CSOs. 

As President Bola Tinubu’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila has become one of the most influential figures in Nigeria’s presidency, despite holding no elected office. His rise to the heart of government reflects the enduring importance of political networks in Nigerian politics. It also raises broader questions about the power and influence of unelected officials in a democracy. 

As Nigerian governors become increasingly powerful political actors, the question is whether their growing influence will strengthen Nigerian federalism or simply replace federal centralization with gubernatorial dominance. 

Nigerian politics does not lack ideology. Instead, the problem is that one ideology has become so dominant that we have stopped seeing it.