Last Monday at the convocation of the Nigerian Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, former National Chairman of Nigerias Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Attahiru Muhammadu Jega, OFR, spoke on the topic, ELECTORAL INTEGRITY AS PANACEA FOR DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA, where he laid out the imperatives critical for the integrity of elections to be upheld. Coming on the heels of the swearing-in of Professor Joash Amupitan as the new National Chairman of INEC, the suggestions are all too familiar, coming from an experienced hand. In an era where the new INEC helmsman will have to contend with some National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners, RECs, who are alleged to be card-carrying members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Amupitan has his work cut out for him. Whereas the new Chairman has been making the useful noises steeped in promises of better election outcomes, his predecessors promises ended up as a fools errand. To ensure that Amupitan succeeds, and as the governorship election in Anambra is scheduled to hold this week, all hands must be on deck to secure Nigerias democracy. This report is a first step in that direction.
Professor Attahiru Jegas speech at the convocation of the Nigerian Institute of Legislative and Democratic Studies, NILDS, on the topic, ELECTORAL INTEGRITY AS PANACEA FOR DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT IN NIGERIA is not merely an academic treatise it is a foundational manifesto and a direct charge to the new National Chairman of Nigerias Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Professor Joash Amupitan. His counsel can be broken down into several critical pillars for achieving electoral credibility in Nigeria. The first test is the governorship election scheduled to be held in Anambra State on Saturday, November 8, 2025.