Daniel Otera
Electoral integrity in Nigeria has long been marred by impunity and fraud. As the country prepares for off-cycle elections in several states, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) is calling for a fresh start under the newly nominated Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan. SERAP has urged Amupitan to initiate investigations into electoral offences committed by politicians and their backers from 2015 to the present. The group asserts that these actions would help restore public trust in the country’s electoral system.
This call was made in a statement issued on October 13, 2025, where SERAP outlined specific steps Amupitan should take to address issues such as vote-buying, violence, and other electoral violations that have plagued Nigeria’s elections over the past decade.
Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, a 58-year-old law professor from Kogi State, was nominated by President Bola Tinubu on October 10, 2025, to replace Professor Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure ends this month after 10 years at the helm of INEC. Amupitan, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, is a well-respected figure in constitutional law and democratic processes. Despite his qualifications, his nomination has drawn mixed reactions from opposition lawmakers in the National Assembly.
SERAP’s call for action targets electoral offences dating back to the 2015 general elections, which were marked by Nigeria’s first peaceful transfer of power from one political party to another. Despite this historic achievement, reports of voter intimidation and result manipulation surfaced, particularly in some areas.
In its statement, SERAP stated, “We urge Professor Amupitan to prioritize the effective prosecution of politicians and their sponsors suspected of involvement in electoral offences since the 2015 general elections, including cases of vote buying, incitement to violence, and illegal interference with the electoral process.”
The organization emphasized that failing to address this culture of impunity would only encourage more political actors to weaken Nigeria’s democracy, especially with the upcoming elections in states like Edo and Ondo next year.
SERAP pointed out that INEC has the legal powers under the Electoral Act 2022 to refer cases of electoral offences to law enforcement agencies for swift action. The organization also called for the establishment of a dedicated unit within INEC to handle these investigations without delay.
To highlight the scale of the issue, open databases maintained by election observers show over 5,000 documented incidents of electoral violations between 2015 and 2023. These include widespread vote-buying, with almost one in five Nigerians reporting exposure to the practice during campaigns, and threats of violence affecting nearly one in ten voters, according to surveys compiled by Yiaga Africa.
For example, the EU’s 2015 mission reported irregularities in 272 polling units, including late openings and voter suppression in the North-East due to the security challenges posed by Boko Haram. By 2019, Yiaga Africa tracked over 1,800 critical incidents, with 68% of observed polling units reporting vote inducements, often involving cash handouts ranging from N1,000 to N5,000 per voter in urban centres like Lagos and Kano.
The 2023 general elections saw a sharp increase in violations. The EU mission reported significant logistical failures that delayed polling in 40% of units, leading to over 1,000 verified cases of violence and intimidation, particularly in the South-South and North-Central zones. Yiaga Africa’s “Dashed Hopes” report for 2023 catalogued over 2,200 incidents, including ballot box snatching in 15 states and result falsification in at least 20 federal constituencies, with over-voting exceeding 10% in areas like Rivers and Imo.
Mapping these cases against federal constituencies using data from INEC’s result-viewing portal and observer archives reveals a disturbing pattern: unprosecuted offences cluster in high-stakes areas such as Ogun, Anambra, and Kaduna, where ruling party candidates won by margins under 5% amid reported inducements. This mapping, which SERAP describes as a forensic “accountability atlas,” shows that fewer than 5% of the 5,000+ violations have resulted in court convictions, leaving a backlog of cases that undermines future elections.
The autonomy of INEC has come under intense scrutiny, particularly in light of the significant shortfall in its allocated budget for 2025. While INEC requested N126 billion for its operations, only N40 billion has been approved, creating a N50 billion gap that is crucial for essential upgrades in technology and infrastructure.
This reduction in funding mirrors previous executive interferences, which have hindered the rollout of critical election technologies. In 2015, similar shortfalls delayed the implementation of smart card readers, a key innovation designed to enhance voter verification and reduce fraud. Similarly, in 2023, a lack of funding hampered the timely deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which played a critical role in ensuring the credibility of election results.
The N40 billion approved for INEC is far below the N126 billion it requested, creating significant challenges for the commission’s plans to upgrade biometric voter accreditation systems and result transmission servers. If these funding shortfalls are not addressed, the credibility and efficiency of the 2025 elections could be jeopardized, making it more difficult for INEC to ensure transparent and accurate voting processes.
Globally, Nigeria’s performance on the Perceptions of Electoral Integrity (PEI) index remains relatively low, scoring just 42 out of 100 in the 2023 Electoral Integrity Project’s Global Report. This score places Nigeria far behind its neighbors, such as Ghana, which scored 58, and South Africa, which scored 72.
The PEI index evaluates electoral quality based on criteria like vote secrecy, enforcement of electoral rules, transparency, and fairness. Nigeria’s low score reflects ongoing challenges in these areas, raising concerns about the credibility and fairness of the country’s elections. Despite efforts to improve the electoral process, Nigeria’s electoral integrity remains an area in need of significant reform.
Voter apathy emerged as a significant concern following the 2023 general elections, which saw Nigeria’s lowest voter turnout in 44 years. According to official figures from INEC, only 27% of the 93.5 million registered voters participated, a sharp decline from 53% in 2019. This decline is largely attributed to fears of election rigging and violence, as well as a lack of trust in the integrity of the electoral system.
A post-election survey by Yiaga Africa found that 65% of non-voters expressed concerns about the electoral system’s integrity, particularly regarding potential manipulation and unrest during the election process. If the current trend continues, Nigeria may face further declines in voter participation in future elections.
However, Yiaga Africa’s predictive models suggest that addressing the backlog of unresolved electoral offences could help reverse this trend. By securing convictions in just 20% of outstanding election-related cases, voter turnout could increase by as much as 10 percentage points, potentially reaching 37%. This improvement would be particularly significant among young voters, who represent 70% of the electorate and are crucial for Nigeria’s democratic future.
To reverse the trend of voter apathy and restore faith in Nigeria’s electoral process, SERAP urges Amupitan to adopt a forward-looking approach that combines accountability with community engagement. This could involve targeted outreach programs and the use of digital tools to track the progress of ongoing cases. Linking electoral accountability with increased civic participation can help rebuild public trust and ensure that every vote counts.
The call for stronger electoral accountability is further emphasized by civil society groups, who view Amupitan’s appointment as an opportunity to end the era of impunity in Nigerian elections.