Igini Decries Courts’ Growing Electoral Influence

A former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, has criticised the judiciary’s growing influence on Nigeria’s electoral process, warning that courts have increasingly taken over decisions traditionally reserved for voters and political parties.

Speaking on the challenges facing Nigeria’s democracy on Friday, Igini described the situation as a regression that threatens electoral credibility, particularly as the country prepares for the 2027 general elections.

“In fact, political parties have almost lost the right to choose candidate now. It is now courts, not only determine candidate, even the court that will determine which political party will participate in election,” he said.

Igini argued that credible elections require the collective responsibility of several stakeholders, including INEC, the judiciary, security agencies, political parties, candidates, the media, citizens and civil society organisations.

However, he identified INEC, security agencies and the judiciary as the three institutions whose conduct could determine the credibility of future elections.

“The trinity of these three bodies will give Nigeria the best of elections,” he said.

The former electoral commissioner maintained that Nigeria must move away from an electoral system in which judicial decisions increasingly determine political outcomes rather than the choices expressed through the ballot.

He also identified public confidence and a credible voters’ register as essential pillars of electoral integrity, arguing that the responsibility for building trust extends beyond the electoral commission.

According to Igini, establishing an accurate voters’ register remains the starting point for conducting transparent and credible elections.

Reflecting on electoral reforms introduced from 2010, he said officials had recognised that the credibility of any election depended fundamentally on the integrity of the voters’ register.