Fresh controversy has emerged around Nigeria’s electoral body. A senior policy expert has raised concerns about alleged bias within INEC.
Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Democracy and Development, made the claims during a television interview.
He alleged that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, may not be neutral.
According to him, early actions by the commission suggest a worrying pattern. These actions, he said, appear to target opposition groups.
Moreover, Ibrahim expressed concern about the speed at which these signs have emerged. The chairman was only recently appointed.
“This indicates we have a partisan person, who has come to do the job of his master. He had partisan opinions in the last election and showed that partisanship openly on X.”
Furthermore, he stressed that such behavior could weaken confidence in democratic institutions.
“I think the chairman of INEC is relatively new. He’s just been appointed, but in a very short time, we’ve seen numerous evidence of partisanship.”
Meanwhile, the INEC bias allegation has raised legal and political concerns.
“His intervention in terms of targeting the main opposition party without a legal basis that most senior lawyers find acceptable in this country justifies that,” he said.
In addition, Ibrahim highlighted the potential impact on future elections. He warned that perceived bias could discourage voter participation.
However, no official response has been issued by INEC regarding the claims.
