Nigeria electoral integrity concerns rise amid academic lobbying allegations

Mike Igini, a former Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has raised concerns regarding the integrity of the electoral process in Nigeria. Speaking at the 2026 Goodluck Jonathan Foundation Democracy Dialogue, Igini alleged that politicians are already lobbying university professors and federal agency officials to influence the upcoming 2027 general elections.

Igini noted that politicians are targeting academics to serve as collation and returning officers to manipulate outcomes. He emphasized that the credibility of African elections depends on the independence of electoral management bodies and suggested Nigeria emulate the United Kingdom by granting more responsibility to such bodies.

In a related development in Akwa Ibom State, a High Court sentenced Professor Peter Ogban to 36 months of correctional service for electoral fraud. Ogban, who served as a Collation and Returning Officer during the 2019 National Assembly elections, was found guilty of tampering with results in favor of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Oruk Anam and Etim Ekpo local government areas. Igini commented on the conviction, stating that state governors often prevent local electoral commissions from conducting credible polls, thereby turning them into ineffective institutions.