EGBA INTEGRITY GROUP (EIG) :  CAN INEC HOST A FREE AND FAIR ELECTION AS PRESENTLY CONSTITUTED? – EGBA INTEGRITY GROUP ASKS

Our Position: Yes, INEC can host an election, but not a free, fair and credible one without structural surgery.

Our conclusion is based on INEC’s own selective enforcement decision of October 29, 2026 where it obeyed Supreme Court judgment SC/CV/495/2026 for Governorship but disobeyed same for National Assembly.

5 STRUCTURAL REASONS INEC WILL FAIL IN 2027 IF NOT REFORMED:*

1. Appointment is Partisan – INEC is Not Independent*
Section 154 of 1999 Constitution: President appoints Chairman, 12 National Commissioners, 37 RECs.

Chairman is appointee of sitting President who is also party leader. RECs are nominated by Governors. Current INEC leadership was appointed by APC government – opposition cannot trust neutrality in Ogun Central.

Result: Even when INEC tries to be fair, perception of bias kills credibility.

2. Funding is Controlled by Executive*
Section 3(3) Electoral Act says INEC Fund is First Line Charge, but Ministry of Finance still releases money. If N305bn election budget is delayed till December 2026, INEC cannot print ballots, train staff or deploy BVAS.

3. Staffing – INEC Has No Staff at Ward Level*
INEC has only 16,000 permanent staff for 176,846 polling units nationwide. On election day it hires 1.4 million ad-hoc staff – mainly NYSC corps members.

These ad-hoc staff are recruited by RECs who are political appointees. In Ogun, many are students of lecturers who are card-carrying party members. That is the rigging channel – Ad-hoc staff swap results at Ward Collation Centers.

4. Power to Enforce S.77, BVAS, IReV is Discretionary in Practice*
Law says BVAS mandatory S.47, IReV mandatory S.60(5), Membership Register mandatory S.77. But INEC in practice has discretion:

– “BVAS failed, we used manual” – INEC accepts
– “IReV network failure” – INEC accepts
– “Register defective but we will manage” – Like Oct 29 decision for Senate.
– ⁠A.I voters, on Voters Register, no decisive punishment for culprits within INEC or date for clean up and verification by political parties.

When law is mandatory but enforcement is discretionary, election is not free.

5. INEC Cannot Punish Itself – No Consequences*
If INEC REC publishes fake register, who prosecutes? INEC is to prosecute electoral offenders under S.145, but INEC never prosecutes its own staff. Over 200 staff indicted in 2023 – zero jailed.

WHAT WILL HAPPEN IN 2027 IF CONSTITUTION NOT AMENDED:

– Election will hold logistically – Yes
– Results will be declared – Yes
– But 40% of results will be contested at Tribunal
– Tribunal will void 15-20 Senatorial/HoR seats due to S.77 and BVAS over-voting – Like Zamfara 2019
– Public will be told “Go to court” but court takes 8 months – Winner already sworn in

That is not free and fair. That is “Hold now, litigate later.”

WHAT MUST CHANGE:

A. Immediate – Before Feb 2027 (No Amendment Needed):
1. INEC must publish everything real-time: Voters register, party membership register, BVAS accreditation per PU, IReV results.
2. Use independent ad-hoc staff – Mix states. Corps member from Sokoto conducts election in Ogun.
3. Mandatory cancellation – If BVAS accredited 120 but result says 450, INEC must auto-cancel unit.

B. Long-term – For 2031 (Needs Constitution Amendment):*
1. Appointment: Chairman appointed by National Judicial Council, not President – Kenya/Ghana model.
2. Unbundling INEC: Create separate Electoral Offences Commission to prosecute riggers.
3. INEC Fund: Release directly from Consolidated Revenue to INEC.

*CONCLUSION:*

INEC as an institution will not save Nigerians. Citizens will save themselves.

INEC will only be free and fair where citizens force it to be free and fair.

*Are we ready to defend our votes in Egba? Your 1,100 agents snapping EC8A at polling units will save you, not INEC headquarters.*

*Signed:*

Comrade Sogbesan Amoo
Coordinator, Egba Integrity Group

For Enquiries: Egba Integrity Media – 0803 XXX XXXX

Do you want me to convert this to *official PDF letterhead + one-page flyer version* for distribution in Abeokuta South/North?