The midterm elections ended 3rd November 2026. Considering America’s superpower status and the far-reaching impact of her policies and commercial weight in world, the election process and outcomes were keenly watched all over the world. In this essay, I will focus on a lone outcome concerning a former Naval Vice Admiral and her former Pentagon boss and what the election outcome means for both personally. I will also try to extract the lessons and extrapolate them to the Nigerian situation and harp on the benefits of a plain field and unbiased umpire in democratic contestations
Vice Admiral Nancy Lancore from South Carolina was fired last year by Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defence (who has christened himself Secretary of War). She had served as a helicopter pilot in the US Navy before rising to a three-star Admiral and Chief of the Navy Reserve. She was fired but was never told the reason why. Hegseth is also a veteran but his highest rank was Major but he has used his political appointment to weed out a lot of senior military officers in just two years. Nancy Lancore opted for politics and ran for Senate.
Before the elections, Vice Admiral Nancy Lancore had said she did not think that Pete Hegseth was qualified for the Secretary of Defence position. In congress, she would be able to have a say on Hegseth’s continued stay as Defence Secretary. In a confirmation of Zik’s “’No condition is permanent” aphorism, another congressman, who is not returning from January 2027, tabled a motion of impeachment against Pete Hegseth yesterday! The retired Vice Admiral’s desire may be fulfilled even without her input! Not many Republican congressmen would be unhappy to facilitate the process and see Hegseth go.
Would a general, retired unfairly, have a chance in hell to run for a senate position and win the primary or the election? Would institutions and even stooges in the parties allow him? If such a general, considered anti-establishment because of the unfair treatment received, is a woman, would such a chance not be doubly remote? If Nigerians are grossly dissatisfied with a government official considered a Hegseth equivalent, in temperament and alleged misuse of power, how many of our NASS members would have the balls to confront him as they are doing now in US congress?
Our democracy is still at infancy, sadly crawling. Was it nascent they called it, after sixty-six years of independence? How is the current National Assembly compared to the one Joseph Wayas led? Should it not be showing signs of growth, improvement and consolidation after the experiences we have had under authoritarian military and many years of fumbling and bumbling? Did we see any forces deployed to Nancy’s 1st District in South Carolina to force a result in favour of the establishment? Did we see citizens take the law into their hands, hounding Nancy’s supporters pretending they are doing so on behalf of government even when the government did not send them?
Elon Musk alone poured in $474 million dollars (about N639 billion) to support Republican candidates in this midterm elections. Yet, majority of the contested seats were won by Democrats! The monies are not deployed to bribe voters, electoral officials or buy branded rice to entice the poor. Such monies are deployed to “convince” voters about candidates’ electability through advertising, television show appearances, townhall events, hiring of event centres, printing of posters and logistics for those knocking on doors for face-to-face conversations and organizing.
Down here, the populace also put pressure on candidates because the belief, based on experience, is that those elected are going for “chopping”. So, people want to extract what they can during elections. Society suffers as a result. Resources that should be deployed to make life better for the populace get squandered during elections as the spenders recoup their spendings. Wrong candidates win and implement policies that hardly improve the citizens’ condition.
Once taxes are paid, Nancy’s constituents do not buy transformers for the power supply companies. Water supply from the municipal authorities is guaranteed and they do not have to drill boreholes and maintain them to have water for domestic use. They do not have to hire mai-guards and gate their streets in order to sleep with two eyes closed. Health facilities are available once you pay for your health insurance. USA is not utopia, as you still find some homeless and drug-crazed folks and gun violence perpetrated because gun ownership is so liberalized. But society works and institutions still function, despite the aberration that may raise its head once in a while. Last year, Hegseth held power and used it on Nancy Lancore. Now Nancy, through the democratic process, will soon be in a position to determine Pete’s fate in the Defence Department. Such balance serves as restraints on the use of power in a democracy.
The Nigerian situation, where men in power are stronger than institutions, needs to flipped. That is the only way we can enjoy the development that democracy brings, for the betterment of society and the good of all.
11th Nov. 2026
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