On Saturday, July 12, 2025, Lagos—the vibrant engine room of Nigeria’s economy—fell eerily silent. From 6 a.m. to 3 p.m., the bustling megacity ground to a complete halt. Roads emptied, shops shut, and the usual hum of commercial activity vanished for nine full hours. The official reason? Local government elections.

Although democracy mandates periodic elections, this one came at an enormous cost. Analysts estimate that the shutdown resulted in tens of billions of naira in economic losses. That figure includes unprocessed freight, cancelled logistics, halted ride-hailing operations, and factories left idle. However, the real victims were not corporations or conglomerates—they were the millions of informal workers whose daily survival hinges on the income they earn from morning to night. For these individuals, one day of economic inactivity often translates to one night without food.

A Staged Outcome That Everyone Expected

What makes this disruption even more tragic is the predictable nature of the outcome. Before a single vote was cast, the results seemed predetermined. It required no algorithm, no political forecast, and no supernatural foresight to anticipate that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would sweep all the chairmanship and councillorship positions in Lagos. Official results merely confirmed what many citizens already expected.

This is not an isolated scenario. Across Nigeria, wherever the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) holds the governorship, the PDP wins all the council seats. In Labour Party-controlled states, the LP dominates. The pattern repeats under NNPP, APGA, or any ruling party at the state level. As long as state governments maintain full control over the local electoral machinery, council elections remain ceremonial coronations rather than genuine contests.

The Tragic Irony of Local Government Irrelevance

This widespread manipulation of local elections strikes at the very foundation of Nigerian democracy. Local councils, by design, are supposed to matter the most. They bear responsibility for key services that shape everyday life: refuse collection, market sanitation, primary school upkeep, feeder road maintenance, and basic healthcare provision. These services determine whether schoolchildren sit in dry classrooms during rainy seasons or whether pregnant women access vital drugs at community health centers.

Yet, by orchestrating election outcomes, political actors have erased accountability at this critical level. If citizens cannot choose their local representatives freely, then service delivery becomes a function of political loyalty—not public interest. When outcomes are prearranged, councils no longer serve the people; they serve those who installed them.

A Wasteful Ritual That Should Be Reformed

Instead of improving lives, local elections have devolved into costly rituals. Consider what could be achieved by redirecting even a fraction of the funds used to organize these predictable spectacles. With a modest budget reallocation, the government could repair leaking school roofs, purchase classroom desks for pupils currently sitting on bare floors, or stock primary health centers with life-saving medicines.

Rather than pursue such impactful interventions, we spend billions staging elections where results are known in advance. This does not strengthen democracy; it undermines it.

A Call for Structural Change: Hand Council Elections Back to INEC

To restore integrity to grassroots democracy, Nigeria must abolish State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and transfer the responsibility for conducting local elections to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). While INEC has its imperfections, it remains Nigeria’s most credible electoral umpire. Its track record shows that no single party controls every governorship or all seats in the National Assembly, and that pluralism is healthy for democracy.

Bringing INEC into the process will introduce transparency, competitiveness, and legitimacy to council elections. Critics argue that INEC is already overburdened, but the solution is not to exclude it—instead, we must strengthen it. Assigning a specialized department for local polls, securing a dedicated funding line in the federal budget, and ensuring public scrutiny of its procurement processes would go a long way in restoring faith in local democracy. It would also prove far more cost-effective in the long run than perpetuating the current charade.

Financial Autonomy: A Precondition for Effective Local Governance

Reforming elections is only part of the solution. Even an elected council remains powerless if it lacks financial independence. At present, most local governments receive their federal allocations through state intermediaries, who often withhold or divert funds for political purposes. This practice strips councils of the ability to address community needs and makes them extensions of state executives rather than independent governance units.

Therefore, financial autonomy must be enshrined in law and implemented with transparency. Local governments should receive their federal allocations directly into their own accounts, without passing through state governments. These transactions must be publicly disclosed and monitored to prevent misappropriation. Real empowerment begins with financial control.

Transparency Through Technology and Civic Engagement

Beyond electoral reforms and financial independence, we must embrace transparency through modern tools. The immediate publication of polling unit results online, in real-time, would deter manipulation and build public confidence. Introducing biometric voter accreditation and electronic result transmission can also safeguard the process. If Nigerians can send money instantly via mobile banking apps, there is no excuse for failing to transmit votes securely and promptly.

In parallel, we need to reintroduce civic dialogue into grassroots politics. Chairmanship candidates should not run unchallenged; they must face public scrutiny through televised debates, community town halls, and budget defense sessions. Citizens deserve to hear their plans, ask questions, and evaluate their fitness for office.

The Real Cost: Lagos’s Informal Economy Took the Biggest Hit

While headlines often focus on banks, ports, and multinational firms, the silent suffering unfolds in the informal sector. The pepper soup vendor who couldn’t open her stall, the vulcanizer who relies on passing motorists, and the event photographer who missed out on gigs—all paid the price of a shut-down city. For many, one lost Saturday means an entire week of income wiped away. Multiply this scenario by hundreds of thousands of affected households, and the broader socioeconomic impact becomes staggering.

Worse still, the resulting disengagement from politics only deepens public cynicism. Voter turnout in many areas was abysmally low, confirming what most already suspected: the people no longer believe these elections matter. When democracy becomes performative, it loses its power to inspire, represent, or uplift.

Rebuilding Trust Where It Matters Most

Nine hours of economic shutdown for a predetermined outcome is not just inefficient—it is immoral. It represents bad governance dressed up as democratic process. If Nigeria genuinely wants to revitalize democracy, the effort must begin at the grassroots.

We must abandon the current farce and replace it with a system that values voter choice, encourages pluralism, and prioritizes development. Empowering INEC to manage local elections, granting financial autonomy to councils, and integrating technology for transparency are essential steps. But just as crucial is restoring citizens’ belief that their votes matter—and that those who govern them can be held accountable.

Conclusion: Turning Elections into Instruments of Progress

Nigeria cannot afford to treat elections as mere formalities. The opportunity cost is too high, and the consequences too severe. If we continue shutting down major cities for political coronations, we risk permanently disengaging the very people democracy is supposed to serve.

However, by implementing bold reforms, we can reverse the current trajectory. We can turn local elections from expensive spectacles into engines of grassroots development. Only then can we build a democracy that delivers—not just promises—progress for all.