INEC lacks political will to restore electoral credibility — Ibeanu

By Zainab Bakare

A former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Okechukwu Ibeanu, says, Nigeria’s electoral problems are rooted more in lack of political will than in technological challenges.

Speaking at a policy dialogue in Abuja, to mark Democracy Day 2025, Ibeanu declared, “Technology cannot replace political will. The real issue lies in how we use innovation to restore integrity and credibility to our elections.”

The event, themed “Election and Technology: Opportunities and Challenges,” was convened by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) in partnership with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).

Director of Legal Studies at NILDS, Dr. Shuaibu Danwaka, who represented the Director-General Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, said the forum aimed to reflect on how technology is reshaping Nigeria’s democratic processes.

CDD Director, Dr. Garba Dauda, acknowledged that while technology in elections remains controversial, reform is inevitable. “We need ongoing dialogue and institutional readiness,” he said.