In anticipation of the 2027 elections, key players in the political landscape have expressed concerns regarding the potential takeover of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the ruling political elites in the nation. Professor Adele Jinadu, during a keynote speech at a conference focused on civic engagement, poverty, and elections in Nigeria at the Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, revealed that he has information about efforts by the ruling elites to infiltrate INEC by appointing their loyalists to key positions to serve their interests in the upcoming elections.
The academic from Lagos State University emphasized that the situation is exacerbated by the National Assembly’s alleged role as a compliant entity, facilitating the appointment of partisan nominees from the APC executive to fill vacancies within INEC. Jinadu, a former commissioner in the now-defunct National Electoral Commission (NEC), urged civil society organizations and concerned citizens to remain vigilant to prevent the looming compromise of the electoral process.
He remarked, ‘There is a risk that the political class will seek to control the electoral body as part of their agenda for state capture by installing partisan supporters. In approximately seven to eight months, we must be prepared for this possibility. The party is poised to reappoint its members. The current INEC officials may have completed their two terms and thus are ineligible for reappointment, or those who have served only one term may also be at risk of not being reappointed, as the authority to reappoint is also the authority to dismiss, allowing for the replacement with party affiliates.
“So that possibility is there. And I think we need to be vigilant and prevent that from happening, because if you look at our history, the 1964–65 federal elections put us on the precipice because there was a deliberate attempt to tamper with and influence the federal electoral culture at the time to the extent that three or four members of the coalition had to resign.
It is imperative to avoid placing partisan politicians in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). To achieve this, we must ensure that any such occurrence is met with significant public protests. This issue transcends legal recourse; it is not merely about the list being presented to the National Assembly in the morning and subsequently compiled by afternoon.
Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, Director of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), urged voters to safeguard their votes during elections. He expressed disappointment that the political elite have consistently underestimated the electorate, despite numerous amendments to the Electoral Acts since the re-establishment of democracy in 1999. Hajiya Saudatu Mahdi, Secretary General of WRAPA, lamented the exclusion of women, youth, individuals with disabilities, and other marginalized groups from the governance process.
In his opening remarks, Monday Osasah, Executive Director of the African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), stated that the conference aims to promote democratic governance, social protection, and electoral integrity in Nigeria. He emphasized the belief that collaborative efforts can foster a more inclusive, transparent, and accountable democracy that genuinely addresses the needs of all Nigerians.
This initiative is particularly relevant in light of the current challenges facing our democracy, including the shrinking civic space, pervasive poverty, and electoral misconduct that impede national progress. Nevertheless, there are also avenues for reform and constructive change.
