Most public office holders belong in prison, says former INEC commissioner

A former Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Dr Mike Igini, has said that many people currently holding public offices in Nigeria should be facing criminal prosecution rather than occupying positions of authority.

Igini made the allegation during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, where he warned that the 2027 general elections would test the credibility of the electoral commission, the judiciary and politicians seeking public office.

“The 2027 general elections will be more than a test. INEC will be judged, and officials, judiciary will be judged.

“More importantly, the politicians who are seeking political office will be judged. Most of the characters you see today in public offices are supposed to be candidates for prison,” he said.

The former electoral commissioner expressed concern over what he described as a departure from the rule of law, arguing that individuals were increasingly exercising power without adequate regard for existing laws.

He also raised concerns over alleged violations of Section 97 of the Electoral Act, which he said protects candidates from being compelled to support a political party.

“They want to end Nigeria. They are putting out light on democracy. Where were they when we were fighting for democracy in this country?” Igini queried.

Igini also alleged that politicians were infiltrating the National Youth Service Corps members’ lists to manipulate the recruitment of ad hoc staff for elections.

He warned that the alleged practice could undermine the credibility of the 2027 elections if not addressed by the relevant authorities.

However, he defended the continued use of serving corps members as electoral ad hoc staff, arguing that they had a greater incentive to protect their integrity than former corps members and other graduates who might not face the same disciplinary consequences.

Igini said Nigeria could not achieve meaningful economic progress without addressing the problems within its political system.

“If Nigeria cannot fix its politics, it can never fix its economy,” he said, stressing that national development was closely tied to the quality of the country’s political processes.

He acknowledged that INEC had introduced measures aimed at improving public confidence in elections, particularly through the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal.

The technologies, he said, had changed the electoral landscape by strengthening voter accreditation and providing greater transparency in the transmission and viewing of election results.

However, his warning places renewed attention on the responsibilities of INEC, the judiciary, political parties and security agencies to ensure that the 2027 elections are conducted in accordance with the law.

The allegations concerning the manipulation of NYSC lists and violations of the Electoral Act underscore the need for effective safeguards against electoral malpractice ahead of the polls.