The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a scathing call to Professor Joash Amupitan, the newly nominated chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urging him to confront Nigeria’s entrenched culture of electoral impunity head-on.
In a letter dated October 11 and signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the group demanded that Amupitan prioritize the prosecution of politicians and their sponsors implicated in electoral offences—including violence, bribery, vote-buying, conspiracy, and undue influence—during general and off-cycle elections since 2015.
“Impunity for past electoral offences is a major barrier to free and fair elections in Nigeria,” the letter stated. “Mr Amupitan must demonstrate that INEC under his watch would not tolerate electoral offences.”
SERAP’s appeal comes amid widespread frustration over the repeated failure of INEC and successive administrations to hold powerful actors accountable for undermining Nigeria’s democratic process. The group warned that unless high-ranking perpetrators are prosecuted and voters are given access to justice, future elections will remain vulnerable to manipulation and criminal interference.
“The general elections and off-cycle elections conducted since 2015 have been characterised by grave electoral offences, making a mockery of INEC,” the statement read. “High-ranking politicians and their sponsors are rarely brought to justice, reinforcing a culture of impunity for violations of Nigerians’ democratic rights.”
SERAP also criticized the lack of urgency in reforming the Electoral Act, calling on Amupitan to push for amendments that would guarantee timely prosecution of electoral crimes and meaningful remedies for voters whose rights have been violated.
“There cannot be a fair electoral process if the body managing it fails to ensure effective investigation and prosecution of offences,” the group said. “No right is more precious in a democracy than the right to vote—and that right becomes meaningless if electoral crimes go unpunished.”
President Bola Tinubu nominated Amupitan last week to replace outgoing INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, whose tenure ended prematurely just weeks before its scheduled expiration. Amupitan’s confirmation by the Senate is pending.
As Nigeria looks ahead to the 2027 elections, SERAP’s warning underscores the urgent need for INEC to shed its reputation for passivity and begin enforcing accountability—not just in rhetoric, but in action.
