2027: Politicians infiltrating INEC staff recruitment, Igini warns

Former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner Mike Igini has warned that politicians are infiltrating agencies responsible for supplying election personnel, raising concerns about the credibility of the 2027 general elections.

Igini said political interference in the recruitment of election staff could undermine INEC’s operations, while the failure to enforce electoral laws remained his biggest concern ahead of the polls.

He spoke during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, where he highlighted the importance of recruiting credible personnel, deploying technology and protecting the integrity of results at polling units.

“What happened is that politicians infiltrate those agencies. They infiltrate those agencies and create liability for the INEC itself as an institution. The laws are no longer enforced. That is my greatest worry about this election,” he said.

The former commissioner identified presiding officers as particularly important to the electoral process, noting that they oversee voting and the recording of results at polling units.

He urged Nigerians to pay greater attention to the integrity of personnel deployed to conduct elections, arguing that weaknesses at the polling-unit level could compromise the entire process.

Igini also questioned the accountability of institutions and individuals responsible for managing elections, asking how officials could be held responsible for failures when public funds were committed to the process without corresponding accountability.

“The state has failed to protect the vote of Nigerian people. How can you pay 26.7 billion? Yet those people cannot be held accountable?” he asked.