Nigerians began registering yesterday to vote in the series of free elections which begin in December. But political activists warn that the military regime, while claiming to be ready to hand power to civilians, is maintaining its ability to stage coups.
They want the military to decentralise its command structure before the local, gubernatorial, parliamentary and presidential elections, so that it cannot cancel results with which it is unhappy or try to reshape the political landscape.
The two-week voter registration programme - at 110,000 centres around the huge West African country - will be a test of popular faith in the transition programme of Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar, who succeeded the late Gen Sani Abacha in June. Local polls are due on December 5th and the series will culminate in presidential elections on February 27th.
The last time Nigerians were asked to vote - in legislative elections in April which were rigged by Gen Abacha - the turnout rate varied from zero to 8 per cent.
Among the activists demanding military reform is Mr Niyi Akintola, a lawyer from southern Nigeria who is deputy chairman of the country's bar association.
"In a restructured Nigeria, like in India, the police should be decentralised with each state having its police command," he said. "The armed forces should also be restructured to reflect a true federal character, so that no section has an undue advantage over another. The military installations should be fairly spread out, too."
Mr Olisa Agbakoba, a human rights lawyer who was detained by the Abacha regime and is convener of United Action for Democracy, said: "You cannot take it away from Gen Abubakar that he just might be sincere about quitting the stage. But it is also possible for the momentum to be reversed."
Mr Agbakoba, who is not seeking election, said the newly established Independent National Electoral Commission was biased in favour of "moneybags and military apologists".
He said politicians were irresponsibly forging alliances without first demanding that Gen Abubakar's regime should keep its promise to publish a constitution.