The alarms raised by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) over the appointment of alleged All Progressives Congress (APC) loyalists as Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) deserve serious public and institutional scrutiny.
Development Diaries reports that SERAP has urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider his appointment of alleged members of the APC as RECs of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The president has also been urged to nominate qualified Nigerians of integrity and non-members of political parties as replacements for the nominated APC members and to submit the names of any such Nigerians for confirmation by the Senate ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
At the heart of the controversy lies a fear that Nigeria’s democratic process is being quietly hijacked under the guise of routine administrative decisions.
SERAP, in its letter signed by Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, cautioned that holding the 2027 general elections under such partisan appointments would ‘make a mockery of Nigerians’ right to participate in free and fair elections and undermine public confidence in the electoral process’.
This concern is not merely speculative, it goes right to the heart of fair elections,, which is especially important in a country where people are losing faith in the results of elections.
According to INEC, over 93 million Nigerians were registered to vote in the 2023 general elections, yet voter turnout stood at only 27 percent.
This sharp drop in voter turnout shows that many Nigerians no longer trust the election process. That lack of trust could grow even worse if people start to see INEC as working for a political party instead of being a fair and independent body.
The confirmation of nominees such as Etekamba Umoren (Akwa Ibom), Isah Shaka Ehimeakne (Edo), Bunmi Omoseyindemi (Lagos), and Anugbum Onuoha (Rivers), some with perceived close ties to the APC, only worsens the optics.
If election officials are no longer fair and neutral, then elections could become just a formality with results already decided.
HURIWA’s statement adds a more confrontational tone to the debate, accusing the federal government of executing a ‘coordinated and well-funded strategy’ to neutralise opposition and engineer defections from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
‘We are aware of faultless intelligence’, said HURIWA’s National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, ‘revealing that President Bola Tinubu is perfecting manipulative strategies for the 2027 General Elections’.
Even if these claims are not yet proven, they are serious and need a response, not just from civil society groups, but also from Nigeria’s lawmakers and political leaders.
To avoid slipping into authoritarianism disguised as electoral reform, President Tinubu must act swiftly and transparently.
Development Diaries calls on President Tinubu to withdraw controversial REC nominations, directing the Attorney General to propose legislation that strengthens INEC’s institutional independence and reassure Nigerians, through both words and actions, that he is committed to free and fair elections.
Also, the National Assembly must equally assert its oversight role, refusing to rubber-stamp appointments that may undermine democracy.
