Renowned political scientist Professor Adele Jinadu has raised alarms over what he describes as the early stages of rigging for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections. Speaking at a Policy Dialogue on “State of Anti-Corruption Policy and Practice in Nigeria” in Abuja, Prof Jinadu accused the political elite of manipulating electoral processes through strategic appointments and corrupt practices.
Prof Jinadu criticized the appointment of known party members as commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), calling it a deliberate attempt to influence future elections.
“They have started the process of rigging the next general election through the appointment of known party members. Next year, many commissioners will be due for re-appointment. They will use the power of appointment to put those who will do their bidding,” he said.
The professor also highlighted the growing trend of vote-buying, stating that it extends beyond individual voters to the procurement of party tickets during primaries.
“Vote buying is done through procurement. They are amassing war chests for 2027. EFCC should go to party primaries where they give huge amounts of not only naira but even dollars to buy party tickets, instead of going after poor voters who get just N2,000 or N4,000,” he said.
Prof Jinadu urged Nigerians to resist complacency and take a stand against corruption and electoral malpractice.
“Nigerian citizens have been deceived for too long. The battle has begun. We are at a critical point. Time is running out, but it is not too late. We have to adopt the Night Watchman approach,” he said.
Encouraging resilience, he added, “You must fight for the future. We should not just fold our arms doing nothing. I am not tired of fighting. We must not give up. We must speak truth to power.”
The professor also lamented the state of Nigeria’s anti-corruption fight, citing political interference as a major obstacle. He pointed out the frequent removal and replacement of chairpersons at the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
“Political interference has not allowed EFCC and ICPC to do their jobs. EFCC has had nine chairpersons since its establishment in 2003,” he noted.
Prof Jinadu described abuse of power as the worst form of corruption, asserting that it undermines the democratic process and fuels other corrupt practices.
“The abuse of the power of incumbency has reached disturbing heights of impunity in our country’s Fourth Republic. It makes nonsense of the possibility of today’s winners becoming tomorrow’s losers, and today’s losers becoming tomorrow’s winners in our politics of electoral succession,” he said.
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He urged Nigerians to reject the “politics of immorality” and prioritize ethical leadership to address the country’s corruption crisis.
“The tragedy of our democratic politics is that our political class continues to push its self-interest, almost to the point of stultifying our national development. What we need to do now is to bring morality back into our politics and firmly reject the politics of immorality,” he said.
Calling for judicial reforms, Prof Jinadu emphasized the need for a legal system that prioritizes public interest and justice.
“We must begin a process of reforming our legal system in fundamental ways, away from their excessive formalism and elitist bias. This will provide a legal anchor for social and distributive justice as state policy,” he said.