Genocide Comments: PFN Rejects Call for INEC Chairman’s Removal
Former Chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, Chidi Odinkalu, has declared that based on the shortcomings witnessed during the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) elections, Nigerians cannot have confidence in the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, to conduct credible elections in 2027.
Speaking during an appearance on Politics Today on Channels Television, Odinkalu described INEC’s performance in the FCT poll as a complete failure.
He maintained that the problems observed were not due to legal limitations but rather a lack of commitment and weak electoral management.
Although he referred to the FCT election as a relatively small exercise, Odinkalu warned that the issues recorded raise serious concerns about the commission’s readiness for larger national elections.
According to him, “INEC failed. Amupitan’s INEC failed woefully. Based on the available evidence, no one can trust him to organise credible elections in 2027. It’s not about the law; it’s about a failure of will and electoral administration.
“I’m not painting an entirely bleak picture of elections in Nigeria. Rather, I’m saying election administrators must do their job properly. If they are unwilling to do so, they should step aside.
“First, electoral logistics were poorly handled. Second, the management of electoral guidelines was weak.
“Officials were reassigned to different polling units just hours before the election without adequate voter education or proper information management.
“Third, the level of violence recorded was unacceptable. In several instances, results were clearly altered. The collation process also experienced glitches on election day. And this happened in what should have been a small-scale election in the FCT. It is disgraceful. Amupitan failed.”