By Henry Ojelu
Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Charles Mekwunye, has raised concerns over what he described as the increasing politicisation of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, warning that the credibility of the 2027 general elections may already be under threat.
Mekwunye spoke during the 2026 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association Agbor Branch themed, “Future Proofing Nigeria’s Democracy: Credible Elections and the Legal Cross-Roads.”
In his keynote address, the senior lawyer said although the Constitution clearly outlines the responsibilities and qualifications for appointments into INEC, the electoral body had consistently failed to conduct elections that Nigerians could regard as free and fair.
“Most Nigerians will agree that INEC has consistently failed to live up to national expectations. Elections conducted by INEC are neither free nor fair,” he said.
According to him, many officials within the electoral commission are either overwhelmed by political pressure or compromised by politicians who allegedly influence appointments into the commission.
Mekwunye specifically cited the appointment of Mr. Etekamba Umoren as Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, as an example of what he described as partisan infiltration of the electoral body.
He alleged that Umoren, a former aide to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, had longstanding political ties that should have disqualified him from serving as an REC.
According to the SAN, Umoren previously served as Special Assistant to Akpabio during his tenure as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief of Staff when Akpabio was Governor of Akwa Ibom State, and later Secretary to the State Government.
Mekwunye disclosed that he acted as counsel in a suit challenging Umoren’s appointment before the Federal High Court in Abuja which questioned whether the appointment complied with constitutional provisions requiring INEC officials to be non-partisan.
Giving details of the proceedings, Mekwunye said Umoren, while testifying in court, admitted resigning from the All Progressives Congress, APC, shortly before his appointment as REC.
He also alleged that during cross-examination, Umoren acknowledged appearing publicly in APC attire during Akpabio’s defection from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the APC.
According to Mekwunye, the witness further admitted working closely with Akpabio for several years in different political and governmental capacities.
The SAN said despite what he described as “clear admissions of political association,” the Federal High Court dismissed the suit challenging the appointment.
He disclosed that an appeal had since been filed at the Court of Appeal, but lamented that the matter had not been assigned a hearing date despite repeated letters requesting accelerated hearing before the next election cycle.
“Not giving us a date to challenge this alleged violation of the Constitution amounts to tacit support for politicians and a grave disservice to the national interest,” he said.
Mekwunye questioned how the courts could justify the appointment of an individual widely perceived as politically aligned into a supposedly neutral electoral institution.
The senior lawyer warned that unless the issue of partisan appointments into INEC was addressed, Nigerians should not expect credible elections in 2027.
“There is no hope that INEC, as presently constituted, will conduct free and fair elections in 2027,” he stated.
He urged authorities to strictly comply with constitutional provisions guiding appointments into the electoral commission in order to restore public confidence in the nation’s electoral process.
