Should Nigeria Adopt Elite Suffrage for Executive Elections?

The Osun governorship election reportedly came at a heavy human and financial cost, including the loss of 18 lives. Yet the winner emerged with a narrow margin, showing how deeply divided voters can be after a major election. I believe universal adult suffrage is not the most efficient way to choose top executive leaders. A close result can mean that the losing candidate was nearly as acceptable to voters as the winner, despite the enormous cost of campaigning and conducting the election. I propose that citizens should elect lawmakers through universal suffrage, while professional bodies and trade unions serve as political platforms. These lawmakers would then elect government leaders through an elite suffrage system, oversee them closely and remove them when necessary. Under this model, elite voters would remain accountable to their professional and political platforms, while the platforms answer to the wider public. The aim is to make leadership selection less about numbers and more about competence and accountability.

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