Former Interior Minister and ex-Governor of Osun State, Rauf Aregbesola, has called for a significant overhaul of Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), warning that the current structure concentrates too much power in the hands of one individual. Speaking at a panel session organized by the Athena Centre for Policy and Leadership in Abuja, Aregbesola stressed that the credibility of Nigeria’s elections hinges on reforming how INEC officials, especially its chairman, are appointed.
Aregbesola proposed that political parties with at least five members in the National Assembly should have the power to nominate candidates for the top leadership positions in INEC. He argued that the existing system, where the principal beneficiary of electoral manipulation appoints the electoral umpire, inherently compromises the election process and public trust.
Moreover, Aregbesola urged INEC to increase transparency by publicly demonstrating the technology it plans to use during elections, such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, to prevent confusion and manipulation. He also called for the integration of voter registration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database to eliminate inflated voter registers and multiple registrations.
Acknowledging that these reforms might require constitutional amendments, Aregbesola emphasized that the main obstacle is political will. His call underscores the need for stronger institutions and greater transparency to restore Nigerians’ confidence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 elections.