Calls to stop the president from appointing the Chairman, National Commissioners, and other presiding officers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) took centre stage on Monday in Abuja as the Nigerian Civil Society Situation presented its comprehensive Credibility Threshold for Nigeria’s 2027 General Election.
The document was officially unveiled by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on electoral reforms and former Plateau state governor, Simon Lalong, along with present and past conveners of the situation room, reports The Guardian.
The document was drawn from lessons learned during the 2015–2023 cycles, global best practices, and the lived realities of Nigerian voters, and defines the non-negotiable standards that the 2027 polls must meet to be accepted as free, fair, inclusive, peaceful, and technologically secure.
Speaking, Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Alhaji Yusuf Dantalle described it as an aberration for a man running for election to appoint the person who decides the fate of that same election. This was as he stressed the need for the judiciary to be sanitised.
His words: “For me, it is an aberration that the man who is running for an election is also the man appointing who will drive the umpire. These are things that need to be looked at.
“The judiciary, on the other hand, needs to be sanitised, because there is a lot of work in the judiciary, even if INEC tries to do a very wonderful job, some persons in the judiciary will come up and say they throw it away using technicalities, which is a very serious issue of concern.
“Then, while we also talk, we also need to look at the political parties, because when you see what happens in the political parties, these are the same people that want to fix Nigeria and are having issues fixing their own political party.”
Also speaking, Situation Room Convener, Yunusa Z Yau, noted: “Nigeria can no longer afford elections that leave citizens doubting the sanctity of their vote.
“This Credibility Threshold tells every actor, government, INEC, political parties, security agencies, the judiciary, civil society, and the media exactly what must be done and when. No excuses, no back-sliding. Credible elections are a shared responsibility.
“Meeting this threshold is not optional; it is the democratic debt owed to every Nigerian voter in 2027.”
According to him, the threshold rests on seven guiding principles: independence and impartiality, transparency and accountability, inclusivity and equality, the rule of law and due process, technology and cybersecurity, sustainability and cost-effectiveness, and civic dialogue with integrity of information.
He noted that the document outlined six pillars of credibility that the 2027 general elections must meet for it to be credible, including INEC institutional integrity; a robust legal and accountability framework; transparent results management and technology; security and justice; internal party democracy and good campaign conduct; and inclusive participation and civic dialogue.
“Appointments to the offices of Chair, National Commissioners, and Resident Electoral Commissioners must be merit-based, publicly transparent, and completed well before the 2027 polls.
“Nominees should have been politically neutral for at least a decade, disclose assets and links to politically exposed persons, and undergo open Senate confirmation hearings broadcast live, preceded by a 14-day petition window.
“Situation Room expects that the National Assembly will screen nominees rigorously and provide written reasons for its decisions.
“Situation Room is also asking that all Constitutional or Electoral Act amendments be finalised no later than December 2025, closing gaps on results transmission, campaign-finance ceilings, and accreditation technology,” he said.
He called on the National Assembly to “institute independent performance audits within two weeks, while INEC must operate a public e-portal that allows citizens to file and track complaints against election officials.
“Annual joint oversight hearings, bringing together INEC, security agencies, the EFCC, and others, must review readiness and spending in the open.
“Situation Room is also demanding transparent election results management, supported by reliable and trusted technology.”
Yau stated that polling unit results must be digitally uploaded to INEC’s IReV portal within two hours of declaration, while collation at all levels must be livestreamed without interruption.
He disclosed that the Situation Room will convene high-level dialogues with all actors and activate an Early Warning and Rapid Response Hub to escalate urgent threats to election integrity.
