Former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) commissioner Mike Igini has warned that politicians are infiltrating agencies responsible for supplying election staff, raising concerns about the commission’s ability to conduct credible elections in 2027.

Speaking during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, Igini said political interference in the recruitment process could expose INEC to problems caused by other institutions, while the failure to enforce electoral laws remained his greatest concern ahead of the next general election.

“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.”

Igini spoke about the recruitment of ad hoc staff, the use of technology. “The most important staff that Nigeria should focus on will be the presiding officers.”

He said the presiding officers play a central role at polling units, where votes are cast and recorded. “At the polling unit, the presiding officer, at the ward, war collection officer, Nigeria can go to section 25 to see.”

Igini said INEC must pay close attention to the integrity of the people deployed to manage elections. “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 also warned that Nigeria’s electoral challenges reflected wider problems with leadership and the rule of law. “The crisis of Nigeria is a leadership recruitment process.”

He said the country could not resolve its economic problems without addressing its political system, If we cannot fix the politics, we cannot fix our economy.”

Igini also expressed concern that the rule of law was giving way to the influence of individuals.

“And that today, where we are supposed to be under the rule of law, we are now under the rule of men.”

He said openness was necessary to build public confidence in the electoral process. He rejected secrecy as a response to calls for transparency.

“The call for openness and transparency can never be answered by secrecy.”

Igini also challenged the argument that political parties and candidates could not publish their own election results. “The argument that candidate political party cannot publicise their result is wholly incorrect.”

He said the polling unit remained central to the electoral process and stressed the importance of protecting the results recorded there.

“And so, at the heart of this election is the polling unit. That’s the key.”

He also warned that weaknesses in the process could allow people to announce results without proper authority. “So somebody can come and impersonate tomorrow and just announce electoral results. This story happened in 2023. We’ve not sorted it out till date.”

Igini said technology was important to the conduct of elections and warned that organisations that failed to adapt risked falling behind. “Any organisation that failed to embrace the benefit of technology will be overtaken by the chaos or decay and decline.”

He also raised concerns about attempts to intimidate journalists and citizens reporting on electoral matters, saying such actions violated their rights. “The attempt to intimidate media, houses, intimidate Niger citizens, that they cannot report, is a violation of section 39.”

Igini said the polling unit remained the key point at which voters’ choices must be protected.

“The power of the people at the polling unit is awesome.”

He also warned that public officials must be held accountable for their actions. “What I said that we need to build more prisons because many of the characters you see today in public offices, they are simply candidates for prison.”

Igini said Nigeria must protect elections as a means of ensuring the peaceful transfer of power. “We have to be very careful, because the greatest promise of democracy is periodic election for peaceful transfer of power.” (AriseNews)

…Promises to prioritise roads, agriculture, education, electricity and peace

IYANO, Kogi State — The African Action Alliance(AA) candidate for the Kogi State House of Assembly seat representing Ibaji Local Government Area, Ugbaje Friday, has unveiled a development agenda focusing on road infrastructure, agriculture, education, electricity and peaceful coexistence among communities.

Friday, who hails from Iyano Ward in Ibaji, said his proposed legislative agenda would address critical challenges confronting residents and promote economic growth and improved public services across the local government.

Roads, Flooding and Rural Connectivity

The AA candidate identified poor road infrastructure and recurrent flooding as major obstacles to transportation, trade, education, healthcare delivery and other economic activities in Ibaji.

He said he would advocate the construction and rehabilitation of roads designed to withstand flooding and improve connectivity among communities.

According to him, better road networks would ease movement, improve access to essential services and enable farmers to transport their produce to markets more efficiently.

Agriculture and Economic Development

Highlighting agriculture as a major source of livelihood in Ibaji, Friday said he would pursue policies and legislative initiatives to strengthen the sector and support local farmers.

He noted that the area produces rice, yam and other agricultural commodities, adding that attention should also be given to processing, storage, transportation and market access to reduce post-harvest losses and improve farmers’ earnings.

He said a stronger agricultural value chain could create economic opportunities and support the growth of local enterprises.

Education and Electricity

Friday also pledged to make education a priority, promising to advocate improved school infrastructure and increased government investment in the education sector across Ibaji.

On electricity, he said he would seek government intervention to address persistent power supply challenges, noting that provision of electricity would benefit households, schools, healthcare facilities and small businesses.

He maintained that access to essential infrastructure and public services was critical to improving living standards and accelerating development in the area.

Peaceful Coexistence and Conflict Resolution

Addressing the issue of communal conflicts, the AA candidate said dialogue, reconciliation and cooperation would be central to his approach to promoting peace in Ibaji.

He pledged to work with traditional rulers, community leaders, youth groups, women’s organisations, security agencies and relevant government institutions to address the causes of disputes and encourage peaceful resolutions.

Friday stressed that sustainable development would be difficult to achieve without peace and cooperation among communities.

Constituency Projects and Legislative Priorities

The candidate said that, if elected, he would seek to facilitate constituency projects in critical sectors, including roads, education, healthcare, water supply, electricity and agriculture.

He also pledged to sponsor bills and support legislative measures aimed at addressing the needs of Ibaji residents and advancing their welfare.

He listed infrastructure development, agricultural support, education, electricity, community peace and effective constituency representation among the key areas of his proposed legislative agenda.

Calls for Credible Electoral Process

With the Kogi State local government council elections scheduled for October 17, 2026, Friday called on the Kogi State Independent Electoral Commission to ensure a transparent, credible and lawful electoral process.

He urged the electoral body to adhere to established procedures, ensure proper counting of votes and protect the integrity of the election.

The AA candidate also appealed to residents of Ibaji to support his candidacy and participate actively in the democratic process as he seeks to represent the local government in the Kogi State House of Assembly.

He said his campaign would remain focused on the interests of the people, peaceful coexistence and sustainable development.

For enquiries and further engagement:

* Email: morphyhillary@gmail.com
* Phone: 08038275895

Ugbaje Friday is the African Action Congress candidate seeking election to represent Ibaji Local Government Area in the Kogi State House of Assembly.

The Peter Obi Media Office has accused Vice-President Kashim Shettima of applying double standards in his treatment of opposition leaders, questioning why he would demand respect for former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar while reportedly describing Peter Obi as “diminished”.

In a statement issued on Sunday, October 18, 2026, the spokesman of the Peter Obi Media Office, Idris Zekeri Jnr., criticised Shettima’s reported remarks, describing them as contrary to the principles of political decency and mutual respect.

The office said the apparent contrast between Shettima’s call for respect for Atiku and his alleged disparagement of Obi raised questions about consistency, political tolerance and the treatment of opposition figures in Nigeria’s political space.

Zekeri argued that although Shettima had the right to disagree with Obi politically, such differences should not prevent him from extending the same courtesy he demanded for Atiku to other opposition leaders.

“Although Shettima has the right to oppose Obi, it is difficult to understand why he would demand respect for one opposition leader while casually dismissing another,” the statement said.

The media office questioned what it described as selective respect, insisting that political disagreements should not determine which opposition figures deserve dignified treatment.

According to the statement, the issue was not whether Shettima supported Atiku or opposed Obi, but whether the principle of respecting political opponents should apply equally, regardless of their regional backgrounds, political affiliations or electoral ambitions.

The office also maintained that Obi had conducted his political engagements with decorum, focusing on governance and public policy rather than personal attacks against political opponents.

It challenged Shettima to compare their respective records as former governors of Borno and Anambra states, claiming that Obi’s performance in key areas of governance surpassed that of the Vice-President.

The statement highlighted Obi’s record in fiscal discipline and investments in education and healthcare during his tenure as governor of Anambra State, arguing that his achievements should be assessed on the basis of verifiable facts.

It urged Shettima to provide evidence to counter Obi’s record if he disagreed with the former Anambra governor’s achievements, rather than resorting to personal descriptions.

“If Shettima contests any aspect of Obi’s record, he should present the facts rather than resort to political name-calling,” the statement added.

The media office further called on political leaders from the South-East, particularly members of the All Progressives Congress (APC), to reflect on the implications of the Vice-President’s reported comments.

It criticised South-East political figures who had allegedly shown disrespect towards Obi, arguing that political loyalty should not come at the expense of defending the dignity of fellow Nigerians.

The office insisted that no political affiliation should justify a situation in which respect was demanded for one opposition leader but withheld from another.

“Nigeria needs a contest based on records and ideas, not selective respect and political denigration,” the statement said.

It added that the Nigerian electorate, rather than political rhetoric or dismissive remarks by public office holders, would ultimately determine Obi’s political relevance.