Kogi and Bayelsa are some of the 7 states in Nigeria with off-cycle gubernatorial elections. Usually, all states in the country hold general elections once every four years where the president, members of the upper and lower houses of parliament and governors are elected within the same period.

On Saturday the 16th of November, the people of Kogi and Bayelsa states will head to the polls and it will be the first time that two off-cycle governorship elections will hold on the same date. However, despite voting on the same day, the Governors will be sworn in on different dates; Kogi on the 26th of January 2020 and Bayelsa on the 13th of February 2020.

For these states, the business of elections was interrupted after the Court of Appeal nullified the election of the Bayelsa State governor, Chief Timipre Sylva and sacked former Governor Idris Wada of Kogi state. The nullification and tribunal petition periods ate into what would have been the normal tenures for these Governors.

While the issues that pushed these states into off-cycle elections may have been unavoidable, continuing in this fashion is certainly not sustainable for Nigeria’s democracy. Here are a few reasons why:

Voter Fatigue: Seeing the irregularities and issues that surrounded the general elections earlier in the year, voter apathy is expected. Also, timing remains a factor for determining voter turnout and this has a huge implication on election results. Also, Kogi and Bayelsa states remain highly volatile during election periods and a lot of money will go into funding security.

Control of Election by Incumbents: In its pre-election observation (PREO) of the 2019 Bayelsa and Kogi governorship election, YIAGA Africa reported that there has been a deliberate substitution of candidates who won in primaries with the ‘anointed choices’ of party leaders. Due to the lack of focus on these states in an off-cycle election, many of these practises remain unreported.

Elections in Nigeria are Too Expensive: Elections in Nigeria remain the most expensive in the world after India. Holding an off-cycle election at separate times further accentuates the costs of elections. It was in the news recently that the National Assembly had approved 10 billion naira disbursement of funds to Kogi State, three days before the elections. The funds may not have been meant for the election, but the lack of accountability and the timing for this disbursement raises a lot of questions on how the money may be used.

Disruption of economic activities can also be detrimental to states as day-to-day activities usually come to a halt, sometimes two days to the elections in states with a high risk of violence, like Kogi and Bayelsa.

In trying to normalise election dates for these states, the most viable option will be to reduce the tenures of governors in affected states to allow them align with the regular election cycle.

As difficult as this may be, the Federal Government can consult with policymakers to adopt proper compensation systems for these governors who have to end their terms earlier than usual.