Lessons from America’s midterm elections

The November 3, 2026 United States (US) midterm elections have left in their trail lessons for Nigeria and other developing nations. In the elections, all 435 seats in the US House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the Senate were contested to determine the 120th United States Congress. Thirty-nine state and territorial US gubernatorial elections, attorney general elections, and numerous state and local elections were also contested. The democrats won the majority of seats in both houses of Congress and among state governorships across the United States. In the Senate, the Democrats won 54 seats, while the Republicans got 44 seats.

There is no doubt that Americans have spoken very loudly. It was an election in which the respect for the ballot, democracy and the constitution was fully at play. We commend the people of United States for the peaceful conduct of the polls and the transparency of the exercise.

A significant feature of the US elections is the influence of strong institutions and rules as against strong individuals. The outcome proved that a people determined and ready to take their government and nation back will always achieve it. The result further showed that the people have the moral right and a civic duty to change a system they consider not serving their interest. The election clearly indicated that power belongs to the people.

Another lesson from the US midterm elections is that when the people are resolved, no level of propaganda, blackmail, intimidation or even monetary inducement can hinder them from achieving their target in a democracy.

Nigerians should learn from the US midterm elections. As the 2027 general elections draw near, there is need for electoral reform and attitudinal change by the people for a free and fair election in the country. The electorate must be actively involved and monitor their votes. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should draw some salient lessons from the conduct of the US elections and use them to make the 2027 polls successful. Despite the uniqueness of the American election management, INEC stands to learn from its transparency.

The management and conduct of the US election should provide a template on how the 2027 election should be handled. Let there be a level playing ground for all the candidates and political parties. It is encouraging that the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has pledged that the commission is not supporting any particular party or contestant for any office. He also vowed that the commission would not tolerate any misconduct in the electoral process. The INEC boss also said that INEC was preparing for a rapidly evolving electoral arrangement that would meet the expectations of Nigerians.

According to him, 2027 provides the commission with a historic opportunity to rewrite the history of elections in Nigeria and set a new benchmark for election management in Africa. Nigerians look up to him to walk the talk.

The bane of Nigeria’s electoral system has been the corruption of the exercise, which manifests in rigging, ballot-snatching, violence and manipulation of the voting process. The last general elections in 2023 also fell below expectations. The exercise was characterised by rigging and violence. The pledge of free poll in 2027 by INEC is therefore timely and commendable. There should be a radical departure from that ugly past. In particular, there should be no room for technical glitches this time around. The transparent conduct of the US midterm elections has shown the INEC the path to follow to get it right.

While INEC is expected to play its part, there is need for change of mindset by Nigerians towards the election and democracy. The voters should not lose hope in the process. There is still room for rectifying past errors, going by the assurances from the INEC chairman. The Nigerian leadership should also learn from the success of the American midterm elections. They should realise that the will of the people shall always prevail. Every election is like a referendum on party candidates. Politicians should tell the people what they would do for them. Let the 2027 elections provide an opportunity for Nigerians to freely choose their leaders. The election should not be a ‘do-or-die’ affair.

We condemn the recent political violence in some parts of the country where candidates and members of the opposition political parties were attacked by suspected political thugs. There were reports of attacks on members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Sokoto and some other parts of the country. In the same vein, the campaign train of the Nigerian Democratic Party (NDC) was attacked and disrupted in Enugu, Delta and Cross River states. Those behind the violence should be apprehended and prosecuted. We call for a free, fair and transparent election in 2027.