Concerns over the integrity of elections in Nigeria (INEC) continue to mount, as issues of alleged electoral malpractice dominate discussions about recent polls, including the 2023 presidential election and elections in Edo and Ondo states.
The pattern of these elections has led to widespread skepticism about the fairness of Nigeria’s elections, with many citizens questioning whether votes truly count.
The partiality of INEC (Independent National Electoral Commission) has deepened as the body consistently declares APC (All Progressives Congress) winners, even amid allegations of electoral irregularities such as vote-buying and rigging in elections.
This pattern has been observed in several recent elections, including the 2023 presidential race, where APC’s Bola Ahmed Tinubu emerged victorious amidst claims of widespread vote manipulation.
Similar controversies arose during the recent Edo gubernatorial election, where the APC candidate was declared the winner amidst allegations of manipulation. The opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and civil society groups pointed to irregularities in vote collation and accused APC of leveraging its influence to sway the outcome.
In Ondo State, the governorship election held in November 2024 resulted in a landslide victory for APC’s Aiyedatiwa, who won all 18 local government areas. PDP also alleged vote-buying and intimidation of its supporters, drawing parallels with past elections.
Nigerians argue that APC’s dominance is bolstered by its access to state resources, control over security agencies, and strategic gerrymandering, allowing the party to maintain an unassailable advantage in contentious elections.
Notwithstanding, INEC’s complicity in legitimizing questionable victories have further disillusioned voters.
Recently, former President Olusegun Obasanjo called for the removal of Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), along with officials across all levels of the commission, as part of comprehensive electoral reforms in Nigeria.
“As a matter of urgency, we must ensure the INEC Chairperson and their staff are thoroughly vetted. The vetting exercise should produce dispassionate, non-partisan actors with impeccable reputations.
“Nigeria must ensure the appointment of new credible INEC leadership at the federal, state, local government, and municipal – city, town, and village – levels, with short tenures to prevent undesirable political influence and corruption, and to re-establish trust in the electoral system by its citizens,” Atiku said.
The increased repeated allegations of electoral malpractice and the ongoing dominance of a single party in contentious outcomes are, however, undermining the country’s democratic foundations. The central question now is whether elections in Nigeria can ever truly be democratic again?
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