By Hon. Chimazuru Nnadi-Oforgu
Imagine a football match where the striker selects the referee. Now imagine the same striker is also the team captain, coach, and owner of the stadium. Welcome to Nigeria’s version of democracy.
That is exactly what happens every election cycle in Nigeria, a sitting president handpicks the very individual or team who will oversee an election he, or his anointed successor, is contesting. It is constitutional. But it is morally indefensible. And if this system remains untouched before 2027, political parties must summon the courage to boycott the election in protest.
A Dangerous Constitutional Loophole
Section 154 of the 1999 Constitution empowers the president to appoint the Chairman and members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), subject only to Senate confirmation. But that “confirmation” has become a ceremonial dance, predictable and politically tainted.
In the last 24 years, not a single INEC chairman has emerged through a truly independent, multi-stakeholder process. All have been handpicked by the presidency, from Maurice Iwu, who presided over the notoriously flawed 2007 elections, to Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure has attracted widespread allegations of bias, technical failures, and questionable decisions.
The 2019 Amina Zakari Scandal
Nothing exemplifies this better than the 2019 elections, when Amina Zakari, a blood relative of President Buhari, was appointed to head the INEC collation centre. The uproar was deafening. Civil society, opposition parties, and international observers flagged the appointment as a gross conflict of interest. Yet, nothing changed. Zakari stayed. The election went ahead. And public trust in INEC cratered.
The National Assembly: Complicit or Toothless?
Some defenders of the status quo point to Senate confirmation as a safeguard. That’s a joke, a bad one. The National Assembly has shown time and again that it is either unwilling or unable to challenge presidential overreach.
Consider this:
In 2020, President Buhari nominated Lauretta Onochie, a well-known APC loyalist, as an INEC Commissioner. Despite public outrage, legal battles, and clear evidence of partisanship, the Senate delayed action for months and only reluctantly dropped her when the heat became unbearable. She was later rewarded with a top NDDC appointment.
The 2023 wave of ministerial confirmations under President Tinubu was a farce. Most nominees were cleared within 48 hours, some without submitting full credentials or undergoing genuine vetting.
Mahmood Yakubu’s reappointment in 2020 also passed with no real interrogation of his controversial first term, during which server controversies and delayed results plagued public confidence.
If the National Assembly is the only check on presidential appointment of electoral umpires, Nigeria is in trouble.
What Do Real Democracies Do?
The best global democracies don’t leave such sensitive appointments in the hands of just one man.
South Africa uses a multiparty selection panel, including civil society and judiciary, to vet candidates for the Electoral Commission.
India, after public pressure, revised its process to include the Chief Justice, Prime Minister, and Leader of the Opposition in selecting its election commissioners.
Kenya mandates public vetting and parliamentary approval independent of the presidency.
Nigeria, by contrast, is still running elections under a structure designed for manipulation.
Trust in INEC Is Collapsing
According to a 2022 Afrobarometer Survey, only 13% of Nigerians said they “trust INEC a lot.” That’s staggeringly low. In comparison:
Botswana’s electoral body commands 58% trust.
South Africa’s IEC enjoys 44% trust.
The World Bank’s Governance Indicators also place Nigeria among the lowest in “Voice and Accountability” due to perceived electoral fraud and institutional capture.
What good is an election when the people believe the outcome is rigged from the start?
Enough Is Enough: Amend the Constitution or Boycott 2027
This is no longer a matter for debate. If the constitution is not urgently amended before the next general election, all serious political parties must consider boycotting the 2027 elections.
Yes, it is drastic. But so is the risk of legitimizing fraudulent electoral outcomes. A boycott would send a clear message: Nigerians will no longer participate in a game where the rules are rigged, the umpire is compromised, and the outcome is pre-determined.
Proposed Reform Now, Not Later
Strip the president of the sole power to appoint INEC leadership.
Establish a neutral, multiparty selection panel involving:
National Judicial Council (NJC),
Civil society organizations,
Equal representation of all registered political parties,
Public vetting and parliamentary approval requiring bipartisan consensus.
These reforms must be initiated now, not in 2026 when the next elections are in sight. Let 2025 be the year Nigeria finally reclaims the soul of its democracy.
Ultimately: This Is About Nigeria, Not One Man
This isn’t just about Tinubu, or Buhari before him. It’s about a broken system that any president, even the best-intentioned, could abuse. It’s about dismantling a structure that has turned our elections into televised theatre, where the ending is often scripted.
If we want a democracy where the people actually choose their leaders, then the people must also choose their referees, or at the very least, help appoint them.
Anything less is dictatorship in disguise.
Now is the time to act. Amend the constitution. Reform INEC. Or prepare for a political shutdown in 2027.
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