Nigeria get serious hiring wahala. You go verify "London-used" phone for three hours before you buy am — you dey check the screen, you dey test the battery, you dey confirm say the IMEI number clean. You dey ask for reference before you employ house help — you dey call their former madam, you dey ask whether dem dey trustworthy. You dey check driver license before you enter im bus — you dey look whether the tire good, whether the seat belt dey work. But on election day, you dey hand your future give man wey you never see im certificate. You dey vote for woman wey im bank account history go make you cry. You dey cheer for team of thieves wey you never investigate their past. Na so we dey do for this country.

The Vote-Wasting Machine no be one weapon. Na factory with three assembly line. And e dey work overtime.

The Memory Eraser dey wipe everything clean. E dey tell you "forget im past, im don change now." E dey show you new campaign poster dey hope say you go forget the old EFCC case. E dey paint fresh slogan on top stale failure. The Memory Eraser know say Nigerian voters too dey forgive. E dey count on your amnesia. And e dey win everytime wey you say "make bygones be bygones" to man wey thief your state future.

The Hunger Engine dey feed on desperation. You dey hungry now. Your children need school fees today. The candidate dey offer N5,000 for your vote. The Hunger Engine know say hungry man go sell im birthright for loaf of bread. E know say poverty dey make patience impossible and principle turn luxury. When belle empty, even proud man go bend. The engine dey roar louder every election cycle because poverty for Nigeria don grow from 90 million people reach 133 million inside eight years. The hungrier you be, the cheaper your vote become. N5,000 fit buy one bag of rice, but e no fit build one school. The politician know this well well.

The Division Device dey split you from your neighbor. E dey tell you "vote your own" — your tribe, your religion, your region. E dey whisper say thief from your village better pass saint from next state. The Division Device know say when you dey vote by identity, you stop dey ask questions about competence. E know say candidate wey no fit explain im budget go still win if e wrap imself with the right flag. According to research by Centre for Democracy and Development, ethnic and religious factors "consistently override policy considerations" for Nigerian voting.

These three weapons dey work together. The Memory Eraser dey make you forget. The Hunger Engine dey make you desperate. The Division Device dey make you choose sides instead of choosing quality. The result? You dey hire man wey you no go ever employ for your shop. You dey give your mandate to woman wey you no go ever trust with your savings. You dey elect team wey you no go ever invite come your house.

And here come the painful part. You know better. You no be mugu. You just busy. You tired. You dey try survive for country wey dey make survival full-time job. The Vote-Wasting Machine know this. E dey count on your exhaustion. E know say after you don hustle for garri money, you no get energy left to investigate candidate NYSC certificate. E know say when belle empty, brain no fit focus on policy analysis. E know say when your tribe dey under threat, everything else feel like luxury.

But the machine get weakness. E only work if you allow am. The Memory Eraser go fail if you write things down. The Hunger Engine go fail if you think long-term — say you dey think of your children future, no be just wetin dey your plate today. The Division Device go fail if you dey vote on performance, no be identity — say you dey look wetin the person don do, no be where im come from. One informed voter na nuisance to bad politicians. One million informed voters na revolution wey go sweep dem away.

Here come the number wey suppose dey keep you awake for night: 92%. Research wey analyze 48 candidates across six Nigerian elections from 2003 to 2023 find say candidates wey fail the candidate tests get 92% failure rate for office. Dem steal money. Dem break promises. Dem destroy institutions. The remaining 8% just underperform. Meanwhile, candidates wey pass the tests get 78% success rate for office. Dem build roads. Dem pay salaries. Dem leave treasury fuller than dem meet am.

The difference between good four years and wasted four years no be luck. Na the test. And this book dey give you seven of them.

Test One: Education — Dem really go school, or dem buy certificate for Oshodi dey call am master degree? Test Two: Track Record — Dem don do anything before, or dem dey ask you to fund their on-the-job training? Test Three: Financial History — Where their money come from, or e come from you without your knowledge? Test Four: Corruption History — Dem don thief before, and dem go thief again? Test Five: Health — Their body fit carry the load, or dem go spend your four years for London hospital? Test Six: Team — Who go actually govern when dem dey sleep or dem travel? Test Seven: Debate Performance — Dem fit think on their feet, or dem need teleprompter to say good morning?

Each test dey take ten minutes. All seven tests dey take one hour. One hour before you vote. Four years after you vote. The math simple. Your time na the best investment you go ever make. The candidates wey fail these tests dey count on your laziness. No give dem the satisfaction.

This book go show you how to run each test. E go give you stories wey you go recognize. E go give you facts wey you fit verify. E go give you tables wey you fit screenshot and share. E go give you five WhatsApp Bombs — short, sharp messages to forward to everybody wey you know. And for the end, e go give you 20-Question Scorecard wey fit one page. Cut am out. Photocopy am. Use am.

The seven tests for this book no be theoretical. Na practical tools wey HR professionals, anti-corruption investigators, and governance researchers dey use across the world. The only thing wey new na to apply dem to Nigerian politics. INEC no go verify your candidate certificate for you. The party no go vet their financial history. The media no go investigate their team composition. That job na your own. E don always be your own. You just need the tools. Now you get them.

The Candidate Test no be about finding perfect politician. Perfect politician no dey exist for this world. Na about avoiding the ones wey go rob you blind, break every promise, dey blame "the system" when your state collapse. Na about spotting the fake before the fake spot you. Na about using your sense the same way you use am for market — because politics na the biggest market for Nigeria, and your vote na the only currency wey you get.

You ready? Pick up your pen. The exam don start now. Your future na the prize. And the fake leaders dey about to lose their biggest advantage — your silence. No be small thing, omo. This na the fight of your life.

Poster Line: "You dey check 'London-used' phone for 3 hours. You dey check your candidate CV for 0 minutes. Who be the real fool?"

The Story

Adaeze na thirty-two. She dey work for human resources for one bank for Lagos Island. Every month, she dey interview fifty people. She no dey hire any of them without one ritual. First, the CV screen. Then the reference call. Then the verification. She dey phone former managers wey she find for LinkedIn. She dey write universities make dem confirm degree. For senior hires, she dey pay background-check firm.

The process dey take three weeks. Inside those three weeks, she don reject candidates with Harvard MBA. Their former bosses describe dem as "disastrous with people." She reject one man wey im University of Ibadan degree exist only for im imagination. The university get no record of am.

Adaeze dey thorough because her job depend on am. If she hire fraud, the bank lose money. If she hire incompetence, her department collapse. She dey take hiring seriously.

Last election, Adaeze vote for senator wey im CV she never see. She no know where im go school. She no know wetin im don do before politics. She no know whether im don ever manage budget wey big pass im household own. She know only three things. Im come from her state. Im speak well for rally. Her uncle vouch for am.

Three months after election, EFCC charge am with certificate forgery. Im claimed master degree from one UK university na fiction. Im alma mater never hear of am. The certificate wey im swear to under oath dem print am for somebody backyard for Oshodi. Im never set foot for that university. Im never write one assignment. But im write "master degree" for INEC Form EC9. And INEC no check.

Adaeze stare at the newspaper headline for staff cafeteria. Her hand dey shake. Her colleague, Chinedu, sidon opposite her with im lunch pack.

"I no go ever hire person without checking their credentials," Adaeze talk. Her voice hollow. "But I vote for one."

Chinedu look up from im rice. "How many minutes you spend dey verify am?"

Adaeze think about am. "Zero."

"How many minutes you spend dey check that London-used iPhone wey you buy last month?"

"Three hours," she talk. "Plus I read reviews. I compare prices. I check the IMEI number."

Chinedu put down im spoon. "Your phone cost N85,000. Your senator dey control budget of N50 billion. And you spend zero minutes on am."

Adaeze no sleep well that night. The next morning, she open her laptop create document. She title am: "The Candidate CV Template — For Voters." Under the first heading, she write with bold letters: "You verify your candidate certificate before you vote?"

She send the document to her WhatsApp group. Five people read am. Three hundred people see her senator billboard that same day. The billboard no get CV. E only get smiling face and the word "Integrity" with capital letters.

[Verified Fact] [Fictionalized Illustration] [Civic Question]

The Fact

Nigeria dey worship educational credentials but dey elect leaders wey their credentials no fit survive phone call. Your parents sell land pay your school fees. You frame your degree hang am for your living room. But when e reach the people wey go administer trillions of naira, you abandon the same scrutiny wey you apply to bank teller.

For 2023, dem elect Bola Tinubu as President while Chicago State University no fit fully confirm the diploma wey im submit to INEC. The university confirm say im attend. Dem confirm say degree dem award am for 1979. But the physical diploma itself get anomalies wey the institution no fit explain. One court deposition by university official note discrepancies. Dem elect Tinubu anyway. No be despite this. Na because almost nobody care enough to check.

The Tinubu case no be special. Na the system dey work as dem design am.

For 1999, dem elect Salisu Buhari as Speaker of the House. Im claim BSc and MSc from University of Toronto. The university never hear of am. Im resign in disgrace. But that na 1999. Since then, Nigerians don grow numb to certificate scandal. The noise wey once shock us don turn background hum. We stop to dey listen.

The problem no be few bad apples. Na orchard wey dey reward forgery. According to Cable News Nigeria, 14 senators for the 10th Assembly get unverifiable academic credentials. That na roughly one in eight lawmakers. Dem dey sidon for Red Chamber dey make laws for 220 million people. And their schools never award the degrees wey dem claim.

The list of shame long and ugly. Muhammadu Buhari no fit produce im secondary school certificate for two presidential elections. WAEC eventually issue one "attestation certificate" — document wey dem create years after the fact. Kemi Adeosun, as Finance Minister, present forged NYSC exemption certificate. Im resign when the forgery become undeniable. But dem never prosecute am. Im just return to London. Ademola Adeleke, now Governor of Osun, face allegations of WASSCE result falsification. Im dance through the controversy for rallies. Dino Melaye certificate from Ahmadu Bello University get classification discrepancies wey SaharaReporters expose. Stella Oduah claimed degree dem refuse verification by the college president. For October 2025, Minister Uche Nnaji dem find am with counterfeit NYSC certificate and no degree from UNN despite say im claim one.

According to investigations by Premium Times and SaharaReporters, 14 senators for the 10th National Assembly get degrees wey their institutions no fit confirm. That na 14 out of 109 senators. Dem dey make laws for 220 million people. And their schools never award the degrees wey dem swear to.

Here come the problem. INEC no dey independently verify educational claims. INEC Form EC9 na affidavit — self-sworn declaration. The commission dey check say forms dem fill. Dem no dey check say degrees real. For 2023, INEC receive claims from over 4,000 House of Representatives candidates, over 1,100 Senate candidates, and 18 presidential candidates. The verification rate for actual degrees? Roughly one in six candidates get claims wey institutions no fit or no go confirm. That na 17% red flag rate at the highest level of Nigerian governance.

Central Bank of Nigeria dey run education verification unit for their own hiring. Dem dey contact institutions directly. Dem dey cross-reference alumni databases. Dem dey check graduation records against matriculation lists. Bank dey demand more rigorous verification for junior analyst than Nigeria dey demand for president. Think about that one.

The track record check equally important. Candidate resume na im job application. And the job of governor different from any other. E require executive decision-making with life-or-death consequences. E require managing budgets at scale wey dwarf most private sector roles. Fourteen years for National Assembly without sponsoring one bill wey become law no be governance experience. Na attendance.

The Peter Obi test versus the Dino Melaye test dey tell the whole story. Peter Obi govern Anambra State for eight years and leave N75 billion for treasury. Im never take bank loan. Im elevate Anambra education ranking from 26th reach 1st nationally. Im invest for infrastructure while im peers dey invest for private jets. Dino Melaye, by contrast, na senator with certificate discrepancies and flair for drama. Im make headlines for im theatrical protests. Anambra make headlines for im school results. One get substance. The other get spectacle. Voters need to learn the difference between the two.

The global comparison dey make Nigeria look ridiculous. Indonesia require 16 documents for presidential candidacy — police clearance, health certificates, five years of tax returns, verified academic credentials, and wealth reports. Kenya IEBC demand clearance from three anti-corruption agencies. UK Conservative Party dey put aspiring MPs through Parliamentary Assessment Board wey dey cost thousands of pounds per candidate. Australia nomination forms include qualification checklists tied to constitutional requirements. Even Ghana require two years of active constituency membership and vetting by national executive committees.

Nigeria require school certificate. And even that one optional.

Research from Harvard Institute for Quantitative Social Science find say higher-quality candidates win more votes and govern better. Each standard deviation improvement for candidate quality produce 3.8 percentage point increase for vote share and better legislative effectiveness. One Norwegian study for 2024 find say 25% increase for educated politicians cause 6% to 13% improvement for government efficiency. Political experience alone get zero effect. Education matter pass tenure.

The Peter Obi test versus the Dino Melaye test dey tell the whole story. Peter Obi govern Anambra State and leave the treasury fuller than im meet am. Im elevate Anambra education ranking from 26th reach 1st nationally. Dino Melaye na senator with certificate discrepancies and flair for drama. One get results. The other get vibes. Voters need to learn the difference.

Wetin This One Mean For You

• Your candidate certificate no be footnote. Na the foundation. If the foundation fake, the building go collapse.
• Governor wey no get executive experience dey ask you to fund im on-the-job training. You no fit afford that one.
• One in six candidates get credentials wey no fit survive phone call to their school. Make that phone call.
• You dey check driver license before you enter im bus. Check your candidate CV before you enter their future.

The Data

The Lie

Politicians dey talk: "School certificate no matter. Wetin matter na school of hard knocks." Dem dey talk: "Bill Gates drop out of Harvard." Dem dey talk: "I be street-smart leader, no be book-smart academic."

This na nonsense wey dem wrap inside populism. Bill Gates drop out of Harvard after scoring 1590 out of 1600 on im SAT. Im don already build im first software company. Im "dropout" story na about leaving the best university for earth to build something bigger — no be about failing secondary school.

Street smarts matter for local level. Street smarts no fit negotiate with IMF. Street smarts no fit design debt sustainability framework. Street smarts no fit manage N500 billion state budget. For that one, you need literacy for finance, law, and administration. You no get that one from "school of hard knocks." You get am from actual schools.

The politicians wey talk say education no matter na the same ones wey dey fly their children go London for university. Dem know say education matter. Dem just hope say you no go check their own.

The Truth

Genuine degree from genuine institution no guarantee good governance. But fake degree guarantee dishonesty. Candidate wey forge im certificate go forge budgets, forge contracts, and forge results. The certificate no be just paper. Na character test. And 92% of candidates wey fail am go on to fail you for office.

Your Action

Citizen Verdict — Do These Five Things This Week:

1. Google your candidate. Type their name plus "certificate," "fraud," "EFCC," and "scandal." Read three pages of results. Save screenshots. Thirty seconds of searching go tell you more than their billboard.

2. Check INEC Form EC9. Download your candidate sworn affidavit from INEC portal. Cross-check every educational claim. The degree match the institution records?

3. Verify one degree. Pick the most important degree wey your candidate claim. Call the university alumni office or check their online verification portal. One phone call. Five minutes. Priceless data.

4. Search CAC records. Look up every company wey your candidate claim to don build. Corporate Affairs Commission search dey take five minutes. If the company dead or dormant, the narrative na fiction.

5. Screenshot and share. If you find discrepancies, screenshot everything. Share for your WhatsApp groups. Tag local journalists. Silence dey protect fraud. Noise dey expose am.

WhatsApp Bomb

"You spend 3 hours dey inspect London-used iPhone. You spend 0 minutes dey verify your governor degree. The phone dey work. The state no dey work. 14 senators get fake degrees. INEC verify their forms. Schools deny their claims. Dem still be senators. Your tax money dey pay dem. Check your candidate certificate this week. Or admit say your N85,000 phone matter pass your future."

Poster Line: "Man wey no go tell you wetin e own before you hire am go thief wetin you own after you hire am."

The Story

Chief Okafor dey sidon for wooden bench outside im compound for Enugu. Im be sixty-five. Im serve through eight governors. Three go prison. Two die for office under suspicious circumstances. Two finish their terms but leave their states poorer. Only one — Peter Obi — leave the treasury fuller than im meet am.

Im dey sip palm wine from chipped cup wey im grandfather also use. Im grandson, Chuka, dey visit every Sunday. Chuka na twenty-six and na im first time to vote. Im dey excited. Im dey wear campaign T-shirt with smiling face on top.

"Grandpa," Chuka talk, "my candidate different. E talk say e go transform the state."

Chief Okafor look at the T-shirt. Then im look at im grandson. "How many houses your candidate own?"

Chuka blink. "I... I no know."

"How e make im money before politics?"

"E be businessman. E talk so for rally."

"Which business? Which company? How many employees? Where their offices dey?"

Chuka dey silent.

Chief Okafor pull out one worn notebook. Inside get ten items, handwritten in ballpoint, each one numbered and underlined twice. "Number one," im read. "E dey talk truth about wetin e own? Man wey hide im wealth before you hire am go thief your wealth after you hire am. Number two. E dey talk the same thing today wey e talk five years ago? Man wey dey change im principles with the season no get principles. Number three. Where im money come from? Man with private jets and no known business no be entrepreneur. Na thief wey dey rehearse."

Im continue reading. "Number four. Who dey travel with am? Show me im friends, and I go show you im future. Number five. Dem don ever investigate am? Even if dem clear am — especially if dem clear am. Number six. E dey listen, or e only dey talk? Number seven. Wetin e leave behind for im last job? Number eight. Who pay for im campaign? Number nine. Im family dey work, or im family only dey benefit? Number ten. When nobody dey watch, e be the same person wey e dey pretend to be for stage?"

Chuka look at im T-shirt differently now. "Grandpa, where you learn this one?"

"I learn am from three governors wey enter prison," Chief Okafor talk. "I learn am from two wey die with money hidden for foreign accounts. I learn am from one honest man — Peter Obi — wey publish im assets and still dey drive imself go church. All of dem get nice T-shirts too. The difference never be the fabric. Na the man dey wear am."

Im close the notebook. "I don use this list for thirty years. E never fail me. The politicians dey fail. The list just dey watch."

[Verified Fact] [Fictionalized Illustration] [Civic Question]

The Fact

Character no be abstract morality. Na operational predictability. Candidate with demonstrated integrity go govern more accountably. Candidate wey im only proven skill na telling audiences wetin dem want hear go govern as performer, no be leader. Research clear: past behavior na the best predictor of future performance. Governors wey steal as commissioners go steal as governors. Presidents wey hide assets as candidates go loot treasuries as officeholders.

Every public officer for Nigeria must declare their assets. Code of Conduct Bureau dey collect these declarations. But e get catch. Citizens no fit access dem without court orders. The law demand declaration to the Bureau. Democracy demand declaration to the people.

For October 2025, CCB Financial Investigation and Fraud Analysis Unit review over 500 asset declaration forms. Dem find discrepancies among at least nine ministers, 43 permanent secretaries, and 40 federal directors. The Bureau announce new digital system wey dey link CAC, land registries, and financial institutions. The system go "automatically detect undeclared companies, properties, and income streams." This na progress. But the fundamental gap remain. Candidate wey declare to CCB but refuse to publish voluntarily dey comply with the law while defeating im purpose.

The voluntary publication test dey separate the confident from the compromised. Candidates wey publish dey demonstrate confidence. Their wealth explainable. Their sources legitimate. Candidates wey hide dey signal vulnerability. Their refusal na data on its own.

Of the 18 presidential candidates for 2023, only Peter Obi publish detailed asset declarations. Fourteen publish nothing. Bola Tinubu list "150 cattle" and "five homes" without addresses or valuations. Transparency wey dey obscure more than e reveal. Atiku Abubakar publish nothing. Rabiu Kwankwaso publish nothing.

The inconsistency test equally revealing. Candidate wey im positions dey change with the audience go govern by calculation, no be conviction. Atiku Abubakar na PDP presidential candidate for 2007, APC defector for 2013, APC candidate for 2015, PDP returnee for 2017, and PDP candidate again for 2019 and 2023. Five party switches. Each one dem announce with thunder about principle. Each one dem execute at the exact moment wey im personal calculus require am. When movement between platforms dey track movement between opportunities, the principle no be conviction. Na convenience.

The social media archive test na your most powerful consistency tool. Search your candidate name plus keywords from years past. Wetin dem talk about the current president when that president na their party leader? Wetin dem talk about corruption when their own party dem implicate am? The pattern of convenience versus conviction readable by anybody wey willing to look.

According to Transparency International 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index, Nigeria rank 140th out of 180 countries. HEDA Resource Centre don document 100 major corruption cases involving Nigerian politicians. EFCC secure 1,417 convictions in just the first two quarters of 2025. ICPC initiate 43 new cases. These numbers no be just statistics. Dem represent schools never build. Hospitals without medicines. Roads wey dissolve for first rainy season. Young people wey their futures dem trade for private jets.

Seven corruption risk indicators dey visible before election day. None na proof alone. But multiple signals around one candidate suppose trigger alarm.

Risk One: Unexplained wealth. Private jets, foreign properties, convoys of imported vehicles. Lifetime of legitimate salary no fit produce multiple mansions for Dubai, London, and Abuja. The gap between lifestyle and legitimate earnings na the corruption gap.

Risk Two: The enrichment network. Close family members wey become wealthy exactly when the candidate enter office. The wife consultancy wey never consult but dey receive state contracts. The son London property wey dem acquire the year im father become commissioner.

Risk Three: Procurement proximity. The candidate associates consistently dey win government contracts for their jurisdiction.

Risk Four: Investigation history. EFCC or ICPC cases, even if dem "clear" am. Both EFCC and ICPC chairmen don decry delays for high-profile cases. Nigerian agencies don "clear" politicians wey later dem convict abroad.

Risk Five: Cash politics. No published donor lists. Spending wey exceed known income. According to Dataphyte Campaign Finance Tracker, for 2023 no major presidential candidate publish complete donor list.

Risk Six: Loyalty to corrupt patrons. Career advancement tied to notoriously corrupt godfathers. Academic research document say "in almost all states, only candidates anointed by political godfathers win gubernatorial primaries." Delegates dem pay make dem vote for predetermined choices.

Risk Seven: Institutional destruction. For previous roles, weakening anti-corruption bodies, transparency mechanisms, or audit functions. This na long-game corruption — no be just stealing, but dismantling the systems wey dey catch thieves.

The consistency test equally revealing. Candidate wey im positions dey change with the audience go govern by calculation, no be conviction. Atiku Abubakar na PDP presidential candidate for 2007, APC defector for 2013, APC candidate for 2015, PDP returnee for 2017, and PDP candidate again for 2019 and 2023. When movement between platforms dey track movement between opportunities, the principle no be conviction. Na convenience.

The social media archive test na your most powerful consistency tool. Search your candidate name plus keywords from years past. Wetin dem talk about the current president when that president na their party leader? Wetin dem talk about corruption when their own party dem implicate am? The pattern of convenience versus conviction readable by anybody wey willing to look.

Wetin This One Mean For You

• Candidate wey hide im wealth before you hire am go thief your wealth after. Hiding na confession.
• EFCC "clearance" no be clearance. The same EFCC never convict sitting governor for 25 years. That "clearance" worth the paper wey dem no print am on top.
• If your candidate family members all become millionaires the year e become commissioner, that no be coincidence. That na curriculum.
• Candidate wey dey change parties pass as you dey change phone case no get principles. Only appetites.

The Data

The Lie

Politicians dey talk: "My wealth na private matter." Dem dey talk: "Nigerians dey jealous of success." Dem dey talk: "I be self-made man." Dem dey talk: "EFCC clear me."

This na camouflage. Public officer wealth no be private. Na the public business. You dey hire am to manage money. Their relationship with money na the most relevant qualification wey dem get.

"Self-made" easy to verify. Name the company. Show the CAC registration. Produce the tax clearance. If e no fit, e no make am. E take am.

EFCC don secure 1,417 convictions for six months. But very few of those na senior politicians. The agency never convict sitting governor for 25 years. Charges dey stall. Files dey disappear. Witnesses dey recant. "EFCC clear me" often mean "EFCC no fit finish the case before I get elected."

The Truth

Candidate wey no fit tell truth about im own money no go tell truth about your money. Asset transparency no be luxury for saints. Na minimum threshold for trust. Demand am. Vote for candidates wey provide am. Vote against candidates wey hide. And if every candidate hide, the election itself na the problem.

Your Action

Citizen Verdict — Do These Five Things This Week:

1. Demand asset publication. Ask your candidate to publish their full asset declaration on their website and social media. If e refuse, ask why. Man wey get nothing to hide no dey hide anything.

2. Map the family wealth. Check CAC records for companies owned by your candidate spouse, children, and siblings. If those companies dem create them the year e enter office, that na data.

3. Search EFCC records. Google your candidate name plus "EFCC," "ICPC," and "investigation." Read the case details. Note whether charges dem drop am, stall, or never file. Note the timing — charges dem drop after e join ruling party?

4. Run the consistency check. Find your candidate social media posts from five years ago. Dem dey contradict their current positions? If dem praise Buhari for 2015 and dey condemn am for 2027, wetin change — their mind or their ambition?

5. Follow the campaign money. Ask who dey fund your candidate campaign. If e no fit name im donors, im donors go name their price after the election. And you go pay am.

WhatsApp Bomb

"Peter Obi publish im assets. Atiku refuse. Tinubu give summary. That no be policy difference. Na character data. Candidate wey hide im wealth before you hire am go thief your wealth after. Act accordingly."

Poster Line: "Show me the five people wey your candidate dey call by midnight, and I go show you your future."

The Story

Aisha na thirty-five. She don cover three presidential transitions as political journalist for Abuja. She don learn say the most important decisions for Nigerian governance never dey announced for press briefings. Dem dey happen by 2:00 a.m., for phone calls between president and the small circle wey e actually trust.

"For 2015," she dey tell group of young interns for her newspaper office, "Colonel Hameed Ali na the key Customs figure. If you want understand border policy, you no dey read the minister speeches. You dey watch Ali movements."

She dey flip page for leather-bound notebook. "For 2019, na Abba Kyari until e die. By 2020, Kyari no be just chief of staff. Na im be the government. Ministers dey wait outside im office. Ambassadors dey send cables through am. The president dey make decisions because Kyari dey tell am wetin the decisions suppose be."

Another page. "For 2023, na Femi Gbajabiamila. Former Speaker, now Chief of Staff. Na im be the policy conduit between president and National Assembly. If you want know which bills go live and which ones go die, watch im diary. No be the Senate calendar."

Aisha close the notebook dey look at the interns. Their eyes wide. One of them, twenty-two-year-old wey dem call Tunde, raise im hand.

"Ma, you dey talk say the president no really dey in charge?"

"I dey talk say governance na team sport. And you no dey vote for one player. You dey vote for the entire squad. The captain matter. But if the squad full of thieves and yes-men, the captain no fit save the team."

Tunde look confused. "So how I go know who dey the squad?"

"That na the problem," Aisha talk. "Candidates no want make you know. Dem want make you look at the billboard stop there. But governance no dey happen for billboard. E dey happen by midnight."

She open her notebook to one tabbed section. Thirty-six governors. Five key appointees each. One hundred and eighty names. "These one hundred and eighty people dey run Nigeria. The governors just dey sign."

[Verified Fact] [Fictionalized Illustration] [Civic Question]

The Fact

You no dey vote for one person. You dey vote for their entire ecosystem. John C. Maxwell Law of Inner Circle talk say leader potential dey determined by their closest five associates. For Nigerian governance, where kitchen cabinets dey override cabinets and chiefs of staff dey overrule ministers, this law no be motivational quote. Na constitutional reality.

Every Nigerian president dey govern with two governments. The first one na the constitutional one: ministers, commissioners, civil servants. The second one na the kitchen cabinet: informal, unelected, unaccountable, and almost always more powerful.

Under Obasanjo, the kitchen cabinet na technocratic. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala renegotiate Nigeria debt and save billions. Charles Soludo reform the banking sector and close corrupt banks. Nasir el-Rufai modernize Abuja urban planning. Oby Ezekwesili lead the campaign for transparency for extractive industries. These ones na independent professionals with international reputations. Dem dey argue with the president. Dem dey disagree for meetings. And dem deliver debt relief, banking reform, and economic growth because dem hire dem for competence, no be loyalty.

Under Jonathan, the model shift catastrophically. The "Cabal" — political fixers and oil interests — replace competence with calculation. Oil money dey flow through channels wey the Finance Minister no fit trace. While the cabal dey distribute resources, Boko Haram dey capture territory.

Under Buhari, Abba Kyari become the de facto president. Ministers discover say dem no fit access the president without Kyari clearance. Policy proposals dem route through im office. When Kyari die from COVID-19 for April 2020, the administration enter visible paralysis. Governance don become so concentrated for one unelected man say the structures no fit function without am.

The Tinubu administration dey operate through hybrid model. Femi Gbajabiamila dey serve as both chief of staff and policy conduit. Wale Edun dey provide economic counsel. But e also represent the consolidation of one Lagos political machine wey don govern for quarter-century.

The Buhari administration after Kyari death dey illustrate the danger of concentrated informal power. When one man die and entire government enter paralysis, that no be governance. That na personal rule wey disguise as democracy. The constitution no mention Abba Kyari. But for five years, im more powerful pass most ministers combined.

The loyalty trap dey explain why competent people dey get excluded. Nigerian political power precarious. Trust become the scarcest resource. And trust, for Nigerian politics, mean loyalty — no be competence, no be integrity. The professor wey correct the governor budget arithmetic during campaign dem replace am with the cousin wey never question am.

The result na reverse quality filtration. Capable individuals without powerful patrons dem push aside. Loyalists wey no get competence dem advance. The candidate wey emerge enter office already indebted to people wey select am for subservience, no be skill.

Nepotism na structural, no be accidental. The Tinubu political family extend through Lagos State governance. The Saraki dynasty control Kwara for decades. The Akpabio family dominate Akwa Ibom. When family members dey control key positions, voters no fit remove the family without removing the entire government. The family become the state.

Nigeria gender data dey devastating. Only 3.8% of National Assembly members na women — 19 out of 469 legislators. No woman don ever elect governor for Nigeria Fourth Republic. Nigeria rank 184 out of 190 countries on women political representation. The 1999 Constitution na all-male, 50-member committee draft am. The political system dem design am without women participation. And e continue dey produce outcomes consistent with that design.

The gender data connect directly to governance quality. States with more gender-balanced cabinets consistently dey outperform on health, education, and social welfare indicators. Why? Because cabinet wey dey exclude half the population na cabinet wey dey operate with one eye closed. E no fit see the problems wey dey affect women because no women dey the room when dem dey make decisions. Sixty-year-old male commissioner wey attend university for 1980s may no understand the digital economy wey dey employ the fastest-growing share of Nigeria young workforce. E may no understand why maternal mortality matter pass statistics. E may no understand say "women issues" na economic issues, security issues, and development issues.

The special assistant economy dey compound the problem. For 2023, federal presidency employ over 500 SAs and SSAs. Average state governor dey maintain 80 to 150. Multiplied across 36 states, Nigeria special assistant apparatus number approximately 6,000 individuals. Dem dey consume estimated N25 to 40 billion annually for salaries. Most get no defined job descriptions, no performance metrics, and no accountability. Dem exist to purchase loyalty, no be to produce outcomes.

The five most important appointments dey tell you everything: Secretary to State Government, Commissioner of Finance, Economic Team Lead, Security Adviser, and Anti-Corruption Lead. Candidate wey name qualified people for these roles before election dey signal preparation and transparency. Candidate wey talk "I go appoint the best after election" dey plan patronage appointments.

Wetin This One Mean For You

• You no dey hire solo performer. You dey hire organization. The candidate team NA their governance.
• Governor wey appoint im brother as commissioner and im cousin as finance commissioner no build government. E build bunker.
• Cabinet of 20 commissioners with 2 women get 10% female representation for state wey na 50% female. The math dey tell you everything about "inclusive governance."
• 6,000 special assistants dey cost N25-40 billion yearly. For that money, you fit build 500 schools or fund 50,000 youth vocational scholarships.

The Data

The Lie

Politicians dey talk: "I go appoint the best people after the election." Dem dey talk: "I no fit name names now because politics dynamic." Dem dey talk: "My team go be mix of politicians and technocrats." Dem dey talk: "Trust me."

This na the appointment evasion. Naming qualified people before election dey create accountability. Vetting their credentials dey improve governance. Refusing to name anybody mean one of three things. One: the candidate never think about governance. Two: the candidate dey plan patronage appointments and e no want make you know. Three: the intended appointees embarrassing — relatives, corrupt associates, unqualified loyalists. For all three cases, the refusal na diagnostic.

"Trust me" no be plan. Na warning. You no dey hire driver by saying "trust me, I go drive well." You dey show your license. Candidates suppose show their team.

The Truth

The best predictor of your candidate governance no be their manifesto. No be their speeches. Na the five people wey dem go place for power. Maxwell Law talk say leader rise or fall to the level of their inner circle. If your candidate five closest advisers average competence score of 2 out of 5, your state governance capacity na 2. E no matter if the candidate personally score 5. The team determine the result. Audit the team before you audit the candidate.

Your Action

Citizen Verdict — Do These Five Things This Week:

1. Ask for five names. For the next campaign event, ask your candidate to name five people wey e go appoint and their qualifications. If e deflect, that na your answer.

2. Count the family members. Look at the campaign team. If the candidate son dey manage money, im brother dey coordinate logistics, and im wife dey speak for rallies, the post-election cabinet don already determine.

3. Count the women. How many women dey hold senior campaign roles — strategy, finance, policy? Or women just dey for "women mobilization" roles? Less than 30% women for senior roles mean the candidate no dey take half the population seriously.

4. Check campaign finance transparency. Who dey fund the campaign? According to Dataphyte, the gap between declared and actual spending for 2023 na massive — Tinubu declare N8.2 billion but spend estimated N50 billion plus. Where the extra N42 billion come from? And wetin e go cost you?

5. Share the kitchen cabinet question. For your community meetings, ask: "Who your candidate go call by 2 a.m. during crisis?" If the answer na "I no know," you no know who you dey vote for.

WhatsApp Bomb

"Buhari get 43 ministers. One man — Abba Kyari — dey make all the decisions. You vote for 43. You get 1. Who dey your candidate kitchen cabinet? Because that na who dey govern. Ask dem. Name 5 appointees. Or watch your state dey governed by ghosts wey you never elect."

Poster Line: "If your candidate no fit explain their plan for five minutes, e no get plan."

The Story

Mama Nkechi dey sell roasted plantain by roadside for Onitsha. She don dey the same spot for twenty-two years. She don see governors come and go. She don see promises arrive for billboard and depart with the rains.

One evening, one campaign convoy stop near her stall. One young man step out dey wear senator campaign T-shirt. E dey hand out flyers. Mama Nkechi dey watch am approach.

"Mama, vote for Senator Okechukwu. E go transform our state."

Mama Nkechi dey turn her plantain for the charcoal. "How?"

The young man blink. "How wetin, Mama?"

"How e go transform am?"

"E go bring development, Mama. Roads. Schools. Hospitals."

"Which roads? Where? When? How much e go cost? Where the money go come from?"

The young man laugh nervously. "Mama, those ones na complex matters. The senator get experts wey dey handle those details."

Mama Nkechi look at am with the patience of person wey don feed seven children by calculating every naira. "Young man, when I buy N500 worth of plantain, I know exactly how many I go sell, at what price, and what profit I go make. If your senator no fit explain im plan the way I dey explain my plantain business, then e no get plan. E get only noise."

The young man stand there, flyer for hand, suddenly unsure.

"Come back," Mama Nkechi talk, "when your senator fit answer five questions. One: wetin exactly e go build? Two: wetin e go cost? Three: where the money go come from? Four: when e go finish? Five: how we go know if e succeed?"

She turn back to her charcoal. "If e no fit answer those five questions, e no be leader. E be billboard. And I no dey vote for billboard."

[Verified Fact] [Fictionalized Illustration] [Civic Question]

The Fact

Every election cycle, candidates dey descend on stadiums with thick manifestos. Dem dey announce ambitious commitments. Dem dey depart before anybody ask the arithmetic. By 2025, Nigeria don develop one of Africa most sophisticated promise-tracking ecosystems. But voters barely dey use am.

BudgIT Tracka platform don monitor over 17,811 projects. Tracka officers dey drive to sites, measure, photograph, and interview. Dem no dey call ministries. Dem dey visit schools wey dem list as "completed" and find roofs missing and goats dey graze inside classrooms. Ground-truthing dey produce data wey ministries no fit dispute. And yet, according to research by Centre for Democracy and Development, 90% of Nigerians believe politicians fail to implement their manifestos. Nearly half talk say manifestos "not at all important" for their voting decisions. This no be ignorance. This na learning. When manifestos get no relationship with outcomes, citizens rationally dey discount them.

The CDD West Africa Buharimeter track 242 distinct Buhari promises between 2015 and 2023. Of 58 promises with 100-day timelines, only 4 dem mark as "ongoing" within 30 days. That na 6.9%. By 2023, Premium Times identify 62 outright failed promises. Three million jobs per year? Unemployment rise from 8.2% reach 33%. Ten thousand megawatts by 2019? Peak generation remain below 6,000MW. Ban on medical tourism? Buhari travel to UK five times for treatment by May 2018.

Tracka methodology rigorous. Their officers no dey call ministries. Dem dey drive to sites. Dem dey measure. Dem dey photograph. Dem dey interview communities. School wey dem list as "completed" for official records dem classify am as "abandoned" if roof missing and goats dey graze inside classroom. Borehole wey dem list as "functional" dem flag am if handle break three years ago and nobody repair am. Ground-truthing dey produce evidence wey ministries no fit dispute. Geotagged photographs with timestamps. Verified data. Real accountability.

And yet Tracka dey receive fewer monthly visitors than single viral campaign tweet. Nigeria don build Ferrari and leave am for garage. The infrastructure of accountability exist. The citizens wey go use am no dey there.

Budget data dey reveal why promises dey fail structurally. For 2024, Nigeria appropriate nearly N10 trillion for capital expenditure. Only N3.27 trillion dem utilize. That N6.72 trillion gap represent schools no build, roads no construct, hospitals no equip. For 2025, of N23.44 trillion capital expenditure, less than 1% dem release for the first half. N7.71 trillion for unimplemented projects roll into 2026.

The manifesto reality test get four parts. E contain correct diagnosis? Specific prescription? Implementation pathway? And budget estimate? Most Nigerian manifestos fail at least two tests. The APC 2023 manifesto score 16 out of 40. LP score 18 out of 40. PDP score 19 out of 40. The best manifesto score less than 50%. None provide aggregate cost estimates. None specify implementation sequencing. None acknowledge fiscal limitations.

The infrastructure math brutal. One kilometer of dual carriageway cost N1.5 to 3 billion. Lagos-Ibadan expressway cost N310 billion for 127km. Secondary school cost N500 million to 1 billion. Governor wey promise 200km of roads with N150 billion budget and N50 billion capital allocation dey promise to spend 600% of available capital on one category. This no be ambition. Na arithmetic fraud.

The security promise equally deceptive. Governors dey promise to defeat Boko Haram and eliminate banditry. But Nigeria Police Force na federal. Governors no fit recruit, train, or command officers. The armed forces exclusively federal. Governor Zulum of Borno understand this one. E no promise to defeat Boko Haram. E promise to rebuild communities, support IDPs, and facilitate civil-military cooperation. E deliver: 189 communities resettled, verified by UN-OCHA. Im promises match im actual powers.

The debate test get five questions wey dey expose empty promises. Wetin you go cut to fund your priorities? Your predecessor make similar promise and fail — wetin you go do differently? Which promises depend on federal action, and wetin be your plan if Abuja refuse? Show me the data wey prove your diagnosis. If you achieve only one promise, which one and why? Candidate wey fail all five never do the homework.

Wetin This One Mean For You

• 90% of Nigerians believe politicians dey break promises. Your skepticism rational. Use am.
• Buhari make 222 promises. E keep 78. That na 35% success rate. For school, that na F. For Nigerian politics, that na two terms.
• Manifesto without budget na fantasy novel with political cover. Demand the numbers.
• Governor wey promise to defeat Boko Haram dey lie about constitutional powers. One wey promise to work within those powers dey talk truth.

The Data

The Lie

Politicians dey talk: "I go attract foreign investment." Dem dey talk: "We go cut waste and inefficiency." Dem dey talk: "God go provide." Dem dey talk: "I no fit give details now for security reasons."

"Attracting investment" no be plan. Na wish. Nigeria receive $3.4 billion for FDI for 2023, down from $8.8 billion for 2011. No governor reverse this one with slogans. FDI dey follow stability, power, security, and contract enforcement. If your candidate no fit name three investors wey e don already talk to, e no dey attract investment. E dey attract applause.

"Cutting waste" na the universal evasion. Every candidate dey promise am. None dey name the programs wey dem go cut, the civil servants wey dem go fire, or the contracts wey dem go cancel. Because cutting waste mean cutting jobs, cutting patronage, and cutting the same special assistants wey deliver votes.

"God go provide" no be economic plan. Na admission of intellectual bankruptcy. God dey help those wey dey help themselves. Your candidate job na to do the math, no be to outsource arithmetic to heaven.

The Truth

Candidate wey no fit explain how e go fund im promise no dey make promise. E dey make noise. The funding question dey separate leaders from liars. Peter Obi "from consumption to production" framing na structurally funding argument. E identify source, specify mechanism, and acknowledge sequencing. Most candidates don think only about applause. The debate test dey expose this one for five minutes. Use am.

Your Action

Citizen Verdict — Do These Five Things This Week:

1. Visit tracka.ng. Look up your state. See how many projects abandoned, fraudulent, or unexecuted. Screenshot the worst ones. Share dem.

2. Run the five debate questions. For the next town hall or campaign event, ask one of the five debate questions. Record the answer for your phone. If the candidate deflect, score am zero.

3. Check the Buharimeter or Soludometer. These tools dey track promises against delivery. See how your current representatives score. Score below 40% mean dem fail. Why you go rehire person wey fail?

4. Demand budget realism. Ask your candidate: "Your promise cost N500 billion. Your revenue na N300 billion. Where the other N200 billion go come from?" If e talk "we go cut waste," ask: "Which hospital you go close?" Force specificity.

5. Check BudgIT state rankings. See where your state rank on fiscal transparency, budget implementation, and capital expenditure. Governor wey score F for BudgIT go score F for your life.

WhatsApp Bomb

"Buhari promise 3 million jobs per year. Deliver 78,000 for 8 years. That na 9,750 per year. I dey create more jobs selling akara. Visit tracka.ng. See your state abandoned projects. Then ask your candidate: 'Where the money?'"

Poster Line: "Twenty questions. One hundred points. The exam open-book. Most candidates go still fail."

The Story

Na March 1, 2027. 7:00 p.m. Eagle Square, Abuja. Fifty million Nigerians dey watch their phones. No be football. No be Big Brother. Na job interview.

Tonight, for the first time, every presidential candidate must sidon for chair, face panel, and answer twenty questions. No teleprompter. No prepared speeches. No attacks on opponents. Just questions — and answers.

The moderator na seventeen-year-old girl from Maiduguri. Her school close for three years by Boko Haram. She dey hold the first question card. Her voice no dey shake.

"Sir, you fit explain how you go fund your education promise without borrowing more money?"

The candidate — one former governor — dey smile. E don smile through two governorship campaigns and seventeen rallies this month. E open im mouth deliver the prepared answer. "We go attract foreign investment, cut waste, and leverage public-private partnerships."

The moderator raise her hand. "Sir. The rules talk say you must answer the question dem ask. No be the question wey you wish dem ask you."

The candidate smile falter. For the first time for twenty-year career, e face person wey e no fit intimidate, no fit bribe, no fit fire.

"Complex matters need simple answers, sir. You promise free tertiary education and 50% teacher salary increase. My state dey get N5 billion monthly from Abuja. Your promise cost N8 billion for education alone. The math no dey work. Abeg show your work."

Behind the moderator, five Nigerians dey score each answer. Market woman from Onitsha. Retired civil servant from Sokoto. Youth corps member from Port Harcourt. Blind lawyer from Ibadan. Primary school teacher from Kaduna. Dem no dey talk. Their scorecards dey talk.

The candidate wey answer best win nothing tangible. No contract. No appointment. But for country where 77% of citizens talk say elections no dey remove poor performers, e win something more valuable. The trust of generation wey don learn to trust nothing.

The moderator no dey rude. She dey precise. Precision na wetin governance require. Precision na wetin Nigerian politics lack. Every campaign season, candidates dey speak for generalities because generalities no fit fact-check. "We go transform education" no be plan. Na mood. "We go invest for healthcare" no be policy. Na feeling. The girl from Maiduguri no dey accept feelings. She dey demand numbers. And numbers na the enemy of empty politicians.

This scene never happen yet. But e fit happen. If you demand am. If your community demand am. If twenty million Nigerians talk: "We no go hire you until you pass our test."

[Verified Fact] [Fictionalized Illustration] [Civic Question]

The Fact

Every serious organization dey interview before e hire. Fortune 500 companies dey spend up to $85,000 per candidate on cognitive testing and behavioral assessment. UK Conservative Party dey subject aspiring MPs to Parliamentary Assessment Board. Indonesia require 16 documents for presidential candidacy. Kenya IEBC demand clearance from three anti-corruption agencies.

Nigeria require school certificate. Sometimes.

Research from Harvard find say higher-quality candidates win 3.8 percentage points more votes per standard deviation improvement for quality. Dem more effective legislators. Dem get higher approval ratings. Norwegian research find say 25% increase for educated politicians produce 6% to 13% efficiency improvement. Political experience alone get zero effect. Education and preparation matter pass tenure.

Yet Nigerian voters dey hire presidents and governors with fewer questions than dem go ask house help. According to Afrobarometer Round 9, 77% of Nigerians talk say elections no dey work well to remove poor performers. Turnout for 2023 na 29% — the lowest for Nigerian history. The gap no be knowledge. Na motivation. Voters don learn say assessment no matter because elections no dey produce accountability.

The twenty-question scorecard dey fix this one. E synthesize research from Harvard, the ICC corruption framework, UK competency assessment, crisis leadership studies, and Nigeria governance realities. Four dimensions: Character, Competence, Communication, and Commitment. Each one scored 0 to 5. Total: 100 points.

Character questions (1-5) dey probe foundational integrity. Your candidate don hold job with real accountability? Their assets match their lifestyle? Dem don change position based on evidence? Their advisers include people wey dey disagree with dem? Dem don ever admit mistake publicly?

Competence questions (6-10) dey test capacity. Dem fit explain their economic plan for five minutes? Dem don manage budget of at least N1 billion? Dem get documented track record? Dem fit name three problems for your LGA with solutions? Dem understand how National Assembly dey work?

Communication questions (11-15) dey test clarity. Dem dey answer questions directly or dem dey deflect? Dem fit explain their plan without attacking opponents? Dem dey provide data? Dem dey hold town halls? Dem fit speak without teleprompter for thirty minutes?

Commitment questions (16-20) dey test motive. Dem don reject godfather demand? Dem dey publish commissioner performance metrics? Dem don vote against their party on principle? Campaign funding transparent? Wetin be their exit strategy if dem fail?

The scoring honest. Five points mean exceptional evidence with specifics. Zero mean refuse to answer or attack the questioner. Score of 80 to 100 na exceptional. 60 to 79 na above average. 40 to 59 na average with caution. 20 to 39 na significant risk. Below 20 na dangerous.

The twenty questions dey expose predictable evasion tactics. The "whataboutism" deflection dey redirect to opponents instead of answering. The "anecdote swerve" dey substitute emotional stories for policy substance. The "time burn" dey waste allotted minutes with preambles. The "team pass" dey promise say "my experts go provide details after the election." The "aspirational vague" dey invoke divine guidance instead of fiscal planning. The "victim plea" dey reframe questioning as persecution. Each tactic dey earn zero to one point. Because each one dey reveal candidate wey either no fit handle the truth or no know the truth.

The community scorecard dey multiply power. Ten voters with scorecards dey informed. One hundred voters with scorecards dey dangerous to bad candidates. For Ekiti State 2022 governorship, community organizations wey dey conduct public assessments report say undecided voters shift toward higher-scoring candidates. When candidates know say dem go score dem, dem dey change behavior.

Wetin This One Mean For You

• You no go hire cleaner without interview. No hire president with poster. The 20 questions dey take two hours. Dem dey save four years.
• Candidate wey score 34 out of 100 still get billboards for every street. Nigerian politics na test of whether noise go beat substance. Your vote decide.
• Harvard talk say better candidates win more votes AND govern better. Norway talk say educated politicians improve efficiency 6-13%. Nigeria talk "but e from my village." Only one of these three statements stupid.
• When twenty million Nigerians dey interview candidates before voting, Nigerian democracy go finally deserve im name.

The Data

The Lie

Politicians dey talk: "These questions unfair." Dem dey talk: "Nigerian politics no be classroom exam." Dem dey talk: "The people know who dem want." Dem dey talk: "This na elitist intellectualism."

These ones na the protests of candidates wey no fit pass the test. Man wey know im subject no dey fear exam. E dey welcome am. Only the unprepared dey complain say questions unfair.

Nigerian politics no be classroom. Na job interview. And the job na to run your life. The questions for this scorecard na the same questions any employer dey ask before hiring manager. If asking basic questions na "elitist," then competence itself na elitist. And we suppose all embrace incompetence as our national religion.

The people truly know who dem want. But wetin dem want dey shaped by wetin dem know. And wetin dem know dey shaped by whether dem ask. The scorecard na the asking.

The Truth

The twenty questions no be one-time exercise. Dem na democratic habit. When Nigerians routinely dey interview candidates before hiring dem, Nigerian democracy go finally deserve im name. The scorecard dey transform voters from passive recipients of campaign spectacle into active evaluators of public servants. E dey give you the tool to talk "no" with precision and "yes" with confidence.

The 2023 election na warning shot, no be revolution. Peter Obi win Lagos with minimal traditional structure. Youth add nine million new voters. But Tinubu still win with 36.6%. Turnout na 29%. Structure dem challenge am but no dismantle am. The lesson no be say structure no longer matter. Na say voters themselves fit become the structure if dem organize with enough intensity and information.

The twenty questions na that information. The scorecard na that organization. The interview na that intensity. Use am.

Your Action

Citizen Verdict — Do These Five Things This Week:

1. Print the scorecard. Cut am out. Fill am for every candidate for your race. No vote until you score. Vote without assessment na guess. And guessing with your future na recklessness.

2. Organize community scoring session. Gather 10 to 20 people. Each person score independently first. Then discuss. Then re-score. Research show say structured discussion dey improve collective judgment beyond simple averaging.

3. Ask one debate question publicly. For the next campaign event, town hall, or radio call-in, ask one of the twenty questions. Record the answer. Share am for your WhatsApp group. One question fit change the information environment for hundreds of voters.

4. Score your current representatives. Apply the twenty questions to your current governor, senator, or House member. Dem publish assets? Dem admit mistakes? Dem reject godfather demands? Score dem now. Compare their pre-election promises to their post-election performance. The gap na betrayal. Document am.

5. Share the scorecard. Post am for WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter. Print copies leave dem for churches, mosques, markets, and beer parlors. When one million Nigerians use this scorecard, candidates go start dey prepare for voters instead of assuming their ignorance.

WhatsApp Bomb

"20 questions. 100 points. My governorship candidate score 34. E still get billboards for every street. The exam open-book. The voters dey choose F. Print the scorecard. Use am this week. Or admit say you prefer to dey fooled."

I go check my candidate certificate before I check their poster.

I go demand track record, no be promise.

I go ask "how" before I clap for "what."

I go judge the team, no be just the leader.

I go verify their wallet before I verify their wardrobe.

I go test their debate answers before I test their dancing skills.

I go remember say billboard no be budget, rally no be resume, and slogan no be strategy.

I go use the 7 tests — because 92% of candidates wey fail dem go fail me for office.

I go use the 20 questions — because my family future depend on the answers.

I go share this book with ten people — because one informed voter na nuisance, but one million informed voters na revolution.

Sign am with your vote.

Print the 20-Question Scorecard. Share am. Use am. Save somebody from voting for billboard.

Book 5 of Great Nigeria Voter Intelligence Series. The Candidate Test: How to Spot Fake Leader Before You Vote.

For the full research edition with sources, data tables, and academic references, visit greatnigeria.net.