International human rights lawyer Emmanuel Ogebe has warned Nigeria’s ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, against assuming that political control and electoral manoeuvres can guarantee victory, citing recent developments in the United States as a lesson for those in power.
Ogebe said some states in the US had undertaken extensive electoral and political restructuring in an attempt to influence voting outcomes in favour of Republicans but still suffered defeat.
Drawing parallels with Nigeria, the lawyer argued that the Federal Government, through the APC, had consolidated its political influence across several states, creating similarities between the political situations in both countries.
Speaking on the issue, Ogebe noted that attempts by US President Donald Trump to exert greater federal influence over elections, including the deployment of federal observers, faced legal resistance.
He also highlighted how changes to electoral districts and polling arrangements in some states failed to produce the desired political outcomes.
“Trump tried to overreach; he tried to have federal observers and so on.
“He went to court, and he pushed back. Now, one of the worst things that happened was that in certain states they did redistricting.
“They nullified polling centres, they did a lot of restructuring to try and control the vote, and they still lost,” Ogebe said.
Relating the development to Nigeria, he said the APC’s growing political dominance at the state level should not be mistaken for an assurance of electoral success.
“Let me point out that we have a similar situation in Nigeria, where the Federal Government has literally, through the APC, acquired a lot of states.
“So we see similarities between both countries. It failed in America, despite everything that happened. They lost over 500 seats across the nation, and so that’s a lesson that, you know, the people in power must fear the power of the people,” he added.
Ogebe’s comments underscore the importance of democratic accountability and the electorate’s ability to determine political outcomes, regardless of the influence or resources available to those seeking to retain power.
He maintained that political leaders should recognise that electoral dominance, institutional influence and political manoeuvres cannot ultimately override the will of the people.
In the November 3, 2026 US midterm elections, Democrats secured major victories, taking control of both chambers of Congress despite Republican efforts to strengthen their electoral position through redistricting in several states.
The outcome was widely viewed as a setback for President Donald Trump and demonstrated that political influence and electoral restructuring do not necessarily guarantee victory at the polls.
