RE: Sam’s Hangout #108 - “VOTING AND TRUST”

Of a truth, even if we are allowed to freely air our views and opinions, the next election will still come and go without any meaningful change if we do nothing. This is because the system is deeply compromised.
When I look at the options @sam.hangout, it captures the raw, polarized frustration that is widespread across Nigeria right now.Many citizens feel the system has repeatedly failed ordinary people, despite our country's enormous human talent and natural wealth — oil, gas, agriculture, and a vibrant young population.

Votes not counting due to manipulation at collation stages, protests met with arrests or tear gas, and that painful sense of powerlessness in choosing our leaders.The 2023 elections exposed these issues clearly. BVAS was supposed to be a game-changer for biometric verification,but failures in result transmission, technical glitches, alleged alterations at collation,vote-buying, intimidation, and violence in some areas shattered public trust.
If I pour out my full opinion on Nigeria's elections and electoral process, this post won't be enough.

But someone may ask: Does it mean we should sit on the fence?
No. Sitting on the fence, staying away from voting, disengaging completely, or leaving everything to chance or the powerful, is not the answer. It would only make things worse and hand victory to those who benefit from a compromised system.Nigeria's abundant resources and youthful population deserve better than perpetual elite selection disguised as elections. Sitting on the fence gives them a free pass. Showing up in large, informed, and vigilant numbers, combined with relentless pressure for real fixes,at least keeps the possibility of improvement alive and makes future rigging more costly and visible.
The sadness of votes not counting, protests met with force, and wasted potential will not end by withdrawing. It ends when enough citizens refuse to normalize it. Many young people and civil society groups are already shifting from pure protest to structured watching, monitoring, and demanding accountability.

Practical steps we can take right now:
If you haven't gotten your Permanent Voter's Card (PVC), go and collect it immediately. Continuous Voter Registration and PVC collection are ongoing — check your status on the INEC portal and visit your Local Government office. This is the bare minimum starting point.

Educate yourself and others in your community about the Electoral Act 2026. It gives statutory backing to BVAS and IReV with some penalties for non-transmission, but the hybrid (electronic + manual fallback) still leaves room for the old problems at collation. We must keep demanding full transparency and real-time safeguards.

Get involved in voter education, reject vote-buying and document every step on election day.
Fellow Nigerians, our voices matter. Let's turn frustration into informed action.
Thank you. Let's build the Nigeria we deserve. 🇳🇬