Danger looms as Nigeria's electoral body faces leadership crisis

With less than two years until the 2027 general election, Nigeria is on the brink of a leadership vacuum at its electoral commission, a situation that could jeopardise the integrity of the nation's fragile democracy.

As half of the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) approaches retirement, civil society leaders and electoral experts are sounding the alarm, urging a transparent and merit-based appointment process to prevent a potential crisis.

In a recent high-level roundtable discussion in Abuja, organised by YIAGA Africa, a civil society organisation dedicated to electoral integrity, discussions centered on a looming crisis at INEC.

The commission's top leadership, including its chairman and several national commissioners, are set to retire between the end of 2025 and early 2027.

According to Samson Itodo, the Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, this transition presents a significant threat if not handled with care.

"We have to be worried about the transitions happening in INEC," Itodo stated, "because you do require a set of people with the competence to administer a very important component of democracy, which is elections."

He stressed that a lack of investment in people with experience and knowledge could lead to a significant decline in the quality of the next elections.

Itodo's remarks highlighted the critical need for President Bola Tinubu to rethink the appointment process for the next INEC chairman and national commissioners.

He called for a shift from political appointments to a system that prioritises experience, independence, and mental alertness.

"The president has the power," Itodo acknowledged, "but before he sends a nomination to the National Assembly, can he publish the list of people he's considering? Ask citizens, civil society, and professional organisations to submit objections and memos on those people."

Kole Shettima, the Director of the MacArthur Foundation's Nigeria Office, echoed this sentiment, suggesting that a lack of public trust in state institutions, including the judiciary, legislature, and executive, demands a moral high ground from the presidency.

He proposed a televised, national screening of candidates as a way to rebuild public confidence.

"The public at this point feels that the whole institutions of state have been captured," Shettima said.

Meanwhile, former INEC Commissioner Festus Okoye criticised civil society's role, noting a lack of sustained advocacy and strategic engagement in the appointment process.

He recalled his own experience being screened for a national commissioner role, where no civil society groups were present to ask questions.

"We only wait," Okoye lamented, "and when other people are appointed, then we react. I think we must change strategy."

The roundtable also highlighted systemic flaws that continue to undermine the electoral process.

Participants pointed to judicial inconsistencies, where courts have often ignored INEC's own regulations and guidelines, particularly concerning the use of technology like smart card readers and the IReV portal.

"The way the courts have interpreted some issues... have been a disservice to our democracy," Itodo said, calling for a clear legal framework that acknowledges INEC's regulations as a part of the electoral process.

Okoye suggested that the judiciary itself, having been drawn into political disputes, can no longer be trusted to lead the appointment process for electoral officials, a position he previously supported but now believes is no longer tenable.

As the 2027 election countdown intensifies, the urgency for electoral reform grows. The National Assembly is currently working on amendments to the Electoral Act, and Itodo hopes the bill will be signed into law by October to allow sufficient time for implementation.

"If this country can pass a national anthem bill... in less than a few hours," Itodo said, "I see no reason why the electoral amendment and the bill cannot be concluded by October."

The consensus from the roundtable was clear: the appointments of the new INEC leadership and the passage of critical electoral reforms are the foundational steps to restoring public trust and ensuring Nigeria's democracy remains viable.