A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Monday Ubani, has advised the newly appointed Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, to restore public trust in the commission.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS on Friday, Ubani said the new INEC boss must demonstrate leadership by rebuilding Nigerians’ confidence in the electoral process through credible and transparent elections rather than spending valuable time probing past shortcomings.
“He is going to have Nigerians’ confidence restored to the electoral process, and then have them be interested in the electoral process if he could pull through with a number of elections. That should engage him as a priority.
“Looking at past failures is something he should consider, but not something that should occupy his priority list now.
“A number of elections are forthcoming, and restoring Nigerians’ confidence in the electoral process should be his immediate focus,”Ubani said.
He commended the new chairman’s qualifications, describing him as both “academically qualified, a professor, and a senior advocate of Nigeria.” He said the combination of academic depth and professional standing gives the new head of INEC a strong foundation for success.
“Academically the man is qualified. I mean, becoming a professor, and then also professionally as a senior advocate of Nigeria. He has all the credentials to succeed,” Ubani said.
However, he warned that competence at the top level would not guarantee success unless all INEC officials across the country share the same sense of patriotism and dedication to credible elections.
“He has a lot to do in terms of ensuring that they have the same spirit to work with in order to restore credibility to the electoral process.
“Most of the time you can be on top as the INEC chairman in Abuja, and then the other INEC officials all over the federation may compound your problem and make it a failure,” he said.
Highlighting the urgency of the forthcoming Anambra governorship election, Ubani said the chairman must personally monitor the process, identify weaknesses, and ensure that operations are transparent and credible.
“What he needs to do is to ask questions and then see whether there is any correction in order to ensure that there is going to be credibility in the entire process, and make sure that we have free and fair information in Anambra.
“He must ensure that things are put in place. Where I am sure, I will relocate to Anambra and ensure that this particular election is a testing one for him, and he must restore the confidence of Nigeria with the election in Anambra,” he said.
On the ongoing amendment of the 2022 Electoral Act, Ubani said the reform process is essential to eliminate ambiguities that led to the confusion and manipulation claims during the 2023 elections, particularly on the issue of electronic transmission of results.
“The act itself was very ambiguous as to what should be, and that is why some of the things that happened happened. But now that is being corrected by way of an amendment. So if that is corrected, it means that at the polling unit, the result will be transmitted, and then we won’t have the problem we’ll encounter at the coalition centre,” he stated.
He said the proposed amendment, which mandates the electronic transmission of results directly from polling units, would enhance transparency and limit interference at collation centres.
“If we have electronic digitisation of our electoral process where results are ready, and then we have the problem we’ll encounter at the coalition centre, because that is where all the wrong things are done. If results are transmitted and everyone is watching it live, people are seeing the result, nobody will come with the issue of manipulation,” Ubani explained.
The lawyer also criticised INEC’s handling of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, describing the N1.5 billion fee charged for accessing election materials as “exorbitant” and inconsistent with transparency goals.
“They have all the instruments to do the photocopies and charge fees, but it should not be too exorbitant,” he said. “I think that figure must have been a miscalculation. N1.5 million would be more reasonable.”
Ubani further noted that the new chairman must be prepared to manage political pressures and internal inefficiencies within the commission while ensuring that both politicians and voters adhere to ethical conduct.
“The desperation of politicians must be taken into cognisance. The electorate themselves also compound the electoral process.
“You must deal with the people that are under you in the system in order to have the same zeal and mind to make the entire thing work.
“If people must choose leaders, let them be free and fair to choose leaders that will govern this country. We must allow Nigerians to make choices and make this country work.
“We should not allow our children to be leaving this country to go to other nations where things are settled, whereas we can settle those things here internally,” he said.
Ubani stressed that collaboration among all stakeholders including politicians, INEC officials, and the electorate is crucial to building an electoral system Nigerians can trust.
“Everyone must make up their mind that we must have a country that is working, a country where everything is in order, and we must do the right thing at every time to make things proper,” he said.
With credible reforms, transparent processes, and unity of purpose, Ubani said the incoming INEC chairman has the opportunity to transform Nigeria’s electoral system and restore public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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