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The literature of election management in Nigeria and the story of those chaired the electoral commission at any given time is filled with broken promises and pieces of advice that are necessary but not sufficient. The bones of the story have a disturbing familiar smell. In pidgin or informal contexts, it’s “Talk and No do”. On assumption of office, the head of the electoral umpire would always make uplifting promises but delivered too little. He is not unaware that the international community is watching his promises. But like that foolish, forgetful hearer, he is not a doer. He reneges on his promises soon after taking oath of office. This is the reason: every successive Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) has faced pressure to reform the electoral process, but lacks the leadership, commitment and strong direction to resist outside interference, especially from the executive branch. Besides, while consultation and buy-in are essential, successive INEC chairmen have failed to make people believe that their votes MUST count. That’s why confidence in the electoral umpire to deliver free, fair and transparent elections remains in doubt. The word ‘Independent’ has become a misnomer.
Apathy on Election Day is growing. Nigerian democracy is gradually becoming just a fulfillment of ‘all righteousness’ . Voters are feeling like people to the ballot box that you bring out only on Election Day. Democracy no longer comes down to legitimacy. Neither does it ensure that the people have the necessary dividends. Simply put, elections in Nigeria today no longer offer valid choices. Programmes and policies of parties and character of the candidates no longer determine the outcome of elections. That’s the sad and present reality of democracy in Nigeria under the present administration. It’s also partly the story of INEC and the crisis of its leadership. Searching for the architect of change at the commission remains a tall order. On October 23, 2025, Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, a professor of law was sworn in as the new INEC Chairman by President Bola Tinubu at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja. He took over from Prof Mahmood Yakubu, now Nigeria’s non-career ambassador to Qatar. Following his inauguration, and like his predecessors, Amupitan assured to conduct a free, fair and credible elections. He specifically said his aim is to make 2027 general elections a “watershed moment” in Nigeria’s election history.
So reassuring was his promise to the point that he said his focus would be on making elections so credible that “even the loser will congratulate the winner”. With less than ten months to the 2027 general election, the question is: can this man keep both feet firmly on the ground and protect his “watershed moment” from being ‘business as usual’, a non-event. Maintaining the status quo, rather than a transparent process is looking almost certain now. Fear, ambivalence and self-indictment on the part of the INEC chairman, are beginning to creep in. It all showed last week during the Citizens’ Town Hall programme hosted by the commission tagged: “Electoral Act 2026, what it means for your votes and the 2027 elections”.
In one breath, Amupitan assured that the commission has the capacity to electronically transmit election results in 2027. In another breath, he was quick to counter his own confidence and competence to deliver on his promise. His words, “INEC cannot guarantee a 100% perfect election”. He urged Nigerians to begin to “manage expectations, while the commission strives for excellence”. What does this tell you about the umpire and 2027 general elections? That’s a clever man talking. You can’t strive for excellence when your assurances are full of contradictions. In other words, if 2027 elections fail to meet public expectations, the defence will be: did the INEC Chairman give anyone a 100% assurance that he will deliver a perfect election? Read his lips: ‘After all, I didn’t promise Nigerians perfect election’.
A friend of mine who attended the Town Hall meeting at INEC headquarters told me he came out of the event looking sorrowful. He said the body language of Amupitan was like of a man who has seen failure ahead of the elections, his eyes not on the goal he has set for himself. This is in spite of his promise to strengthen the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Results Viewing Portal(iReV) to boost confidence in the electoral process. If the morning tells the day, the storm clouds that 2027 election might be another charade are gathering. For example, the Anambra governorship election held in November, 2025, which Amupitan prioritised as a litmus test for his commitment to credible elections in the country, proved to be a sham.
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The voter turnout of just 21 percent underscores not just voters apathy and vote-buying, but the depressing lose of confidence in the ability and capacity of INEC. Last month’s municipal election in the Federal Capital Territory(FCT) was in another level of counterfeit election. The voter turnout was 14 percent, the worst ever recorded in municipal election in the country. Time is ticking fast to restore confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process. It’s unlikely that 2027 elections will worth the effort and the astonishing amount of over N874 billion proposed by INEC for the conduct of the elections, beginning with the Presidential poll fixed for January 16. That date is deliberately fixed to disenfranchise millions of voters from the South East who registered outside the zone.
As the clock ticks, I don’t know whether Amupitan is looking towards 2027 as his badge of honour, how history will judge him. Apart from Prof Humphrey Nwosu who conducted the 1993 presidential election, widely presumed as Nigeria’s best election, no INEC Chairman has thought deeply, his place in history after his tenure is over. Over the years, INEC has proved, literally speaking, as a ‘cemetery’ of some sort for the occupants of that sensitive office. Many successive chairmen of the commission have had their reputations completely ruined. That should worry Amupitan. This is because his actions or errors of judgement will directly determine the legitimacy or otherwise, of governments, the stability of the country, and the preservation or otherwise, of our democratic principles. These noble ideals are eroding very fast under the present dispensation. Amupitan needs reminding that a legacy of fairness fosters trust, while a legacy of bias can lead to lasting political instability, violence and the erosion of confidence in democratic institutions. Only him knows what he wants, how he wants to be remembered after his tenure. But history doesn’t forgive those who fail to take the rare opportunity that time, circumstance, and providence have provided for them to do the right things and shape the course of democracy. A positive and fair legacy ensures public trust.
For Amupitan, it bears repeating that being the head of INEC can provide one with stupendous wealth of a lifetime and beyond. But an enduring personal reputation is what no tons of money can buy. It’s priceless. He must have this in mind that, while politicians come and go, the reputation of public officials – especially those entrusted with sensitive positions – should be a source of pride and a reference point of how to get things done. Mahmood Yakubu, no matter what he has been ‘rewarded’ with, and despite his academic excellence, he failed to take the chance of a lifetime to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy. He left with his integrity sullied. I doubt if history will be kind to him, especially the way he handled the 2023 presidential election.
Remember, Yakubu promised to deliver the ‘moon’, the best presidential election, but he ended up giving Nigeria a ‘cheese’. It was a compromised election outcome that still leaves a sore taste in the mouth. Very painful. Taken as a whole, despite good intentions and lavish use of taxpayers resources, INEC under the leadership of Amupitan will unlikely conduct a free, fair and transparent elections next year. Mark my word. The man at the helm will likely amputate what is left of Nigeria’s democracy. Things will get worse, rather better. The writing is already on the wall. This is the reason: it is a combination of corruption, complex bureaucratic environment and weak institutions that are getting worse in breathtaking scope in all public institutions.
Beyond that, the government that appointed Amupitan prioritises loyalty over merit. For this government, competence counts little. Mediocrity reigns. It speaks volumes about the criteria Tinubu uses in his appointments. The appointment of people like Femi Fani-kayode, Reno(he-goat) Omokri as ambassadors, and Daniel Bwala as aide on Media and Policy Communication, mirrors how low this administration has gone. Bwala’s interview on Al Jezeera , Head to Head Programme last week, dented Nigeria’s image. He choked under probing questions from Mehdi Hassan. Bwala confessed he never knew his past would be called to account. It’s is a lesson in political sycophancy. I think, for president Tinubu, his decision to give appointments to turncoats and his former harsh critics was deliberate. It’s to allow allow them eat own words. But President Tinubu was not thoughtful enough about how much damage opportunists could harm the country’s already battered image abroad. That’s why shame has become a passé for the present government. Nothing to be ashamed of, old-fashioned.
