Nigeria, May 6 -- An estimated hundred+ million euros of EU taxpayers' money, intended to support democratic elections in five African countries, has instead strengthened autocratic and corrupt leaders in these countries over the past decade. Expensive training programmes and workshops for state officials, ruling parties and police have been funded with this money, while countless "voter education" programmes continue to prop up a facade of democracy in places where even the best-educated citizens are cheated out of their votes. EU observer missions have regularly pointed out failings, but change has not followed.

These findings result from a five-month-long investigation across five African countries: Kenya, Zambia, Cote d'Ivoire, Niger...