Former Vice President and 2027 presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has pledged to end the President’s power to appoint the Chairman and members of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Atiku made the commitment in the ADC’s 2027 Policy Document on Electoral Reform, which outlines proposed changes to strengthen the independence of the electoral body.
The document states that an Atiku administration would remove direct executive control over the appointment of electoral officials in order to improve the credibility of elections and restore public confidence in INEC.
Under the proposed arrangement, the INEC Chairman, National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners would be selected through an independent, multi-stakeholder process involving the judiciary, civil society organisations and professional bodies.
The ADC argued that the current system, which gives the President the power to appoint INEC officials, has weakened public trust and created the perception that the electoral commission is influenced by the Executive.
The controversy over INEC appointments has surfaced under successive administrations.
The nomination of Amina Zakari as an INEC National Commissioner in 2018, the rejected nomination of former presidential aide Lauretta Onochie in 2021, and questions surrounding some Resident Electoral Commissioner appointments in 2023 all generated public debate.
More recently, the appointment of Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan as INEC Chairman by President Bola Tinubu has also attracted allegations of partisanship.
Atiku said the practice must change if Nigeria is to build a truly independent electoral system.
The ADC policy also proposes secure tenure for INEC officials to shield them from political pressure and arbitrary removal.
Under the proposed system, the party said electoral officials would be able to perform their duties without fear of losing their positions for resisting pressure from the Presidency or state governments.
A source close to the ADC presidential campaign said credible elections depend on the independence of the electoral umpire.
Political analysts have long argued that presidential control over INEC appointments has remained a major concern since the return to democratic rule in 1999.
The ADC said an Atiku administration would sign a new law to transfer the appointment power from the Presidency to a broad-based and transparent independent panel.
The proposed reform, it said, would ensure that INEC is no longer indebted to the sitting President and can conduct elections without executive interference.
