Former Osun State governor and National Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Rauf Aregbesola, has proposed that political parties with at least five lawmakers in the National Assembly should be allowed to nominate individuals to lead the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Speaking in Abuja during a panel session themed “Innovation in Electoral Technology 2015–2025,” Aregbesola said the credibility of Nigeria’s elections depends on how INEC’s leadership is chosen.
He argued that the current system—where the president appoints the electoral chief—creates distrust and suspicion among citizens.
“The issues involved in Nigerian elections are not as simple as we think,” Aregbesola said. “We pretend as if we don’t know the truth, but we do. The process doesn’t inspire confidence, and we must start by reforming how we appoint those who manage it.”
He suggested that only political parties with at least five National Assembly members should have the right to nominate candidates for INEC’s top positions.
“If the parties choose to let one run away with it, fine. But at least the process would be fairer,” he added.
Aregbesola warned that the practice of allowing the “principal beneficiary of manipulation” to appoint the electoral umpire compromises the entire system.
“It dictates the outcome before the first vote is cast,” he said, stressing that electoral credibility cannot rely on technology alone.
Demand for Transparency in Election Technology
The former minister also challenged INEC to publicly demonstrate any technology it plans to deploy in future elections.
“Don’t tell us you’re using BVAS or some other machine only to change it on election day. The Electoral Act compels INEC to show Nigerians the tools and methods to be used. That’s transparency,” he said.
He wondered why Nigeria could not replicate real-time result displays used in countries like India, Brazil, and Venezuela.
“As people vote, results should appear in real-time for everyone to see. Paperwork should only serve as backup,” he said.
On voter registration, Aregbesola urged INEC to integrate its register with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database to eliminate multiple registrations.
“We can’t have 93 million registered voters with only 23 million actually voting,” he said.
He acknowledged that reforms might require constitutional amendment but insisted that the main obstacle is not legality but political will.
“To have credible elections and democracy, you need democrats—and democrats require trust in the process,” he added.
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