Former Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner Mike Igini has described corruption and sabotage by individuals within and outside the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as persistent obstacles to the commission’s work.
Speaking in an interview with DAILY INDEPENDENT on Thursday, October 29, 2026, Igini said restoring public confidence in INEC had been a major concern, given the low level of trust in the electoral body.
He pointed to Ghana’s most recent election, noting that the candidate of the ruling party conceded defeat before the official results were announced. According to him, such conduct demonstrates the importance of public confidence in elections.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s electoral history, Igini identified the 2003–2007 period as the country’s worst election period. He contrasted it with the reforms introduced under former INEC chairman Professor Attahiru Jega, saying former President Goodluck Jonathan supported credible elections during that period.
Igini said Jonathan allowed the commission room to introduce new ideas and improve how elections were conducted. Despite describing INEC as Nigeria’s most innovative public institution, he maintained that internal and external interference, alongside corruption, continued to undermine its efforts.
Recounting the experience, Igini said, “The 2003 to 2007 election was the worst and when Jega came in 2015, Jonathan insisted on free, fair and credible elections. We came on board and he took measures and gave us freedom to innovate. INEC is the most innovative public institution in Nigeria, but the challenge is sabotage and corruption; sabotage from within and without.”
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