2027: Yiaga Africa Explains Why Nigerians Are Losing Trust in INEC

A civil society organisation, Yiaga Africa, has revealed that more than half of Nigerians no longer trust the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), raising concerns ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The group’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, disclosed this on Friday while speaking on Prime Time, a programme aired on Arise Television.

According to Itodo, repeated electoral irregularities such as conflicting results from the same polling unit, election officials undermining voters’ choices, and the pre-filling of result sheets have continued to weaken public confidence in the electoral body.

“It’s very dangerous. Our survey clearly shows that over half of Nigerians do not trust INEC, and the reasons are tied to their experiences from previous elections,” he said.

He explained that the growing distrust is not limited to INEC alone but extends to other stakeholders in the electoral process, including security agencies and the judiciary.

“The conduct, inaction, or mismanagement by these actors in the election value chain directly affects how citizens perceive elections,” Itodo added.

He noted that the current INEC chairman has repeatedly acknowledged the need for the commission to rebuild public confidence, stressing that logistics, result management, collation, transmission, and party registration must be handled transparently.

With party primaries approaching, Itodo said INEC’s management of nominations, congresses, and candidate verification would play a major role in restoring trust.
He warned that accepting candidates’ lists from political parties that failed to conduct valid primaries would damage the integrity of the commission.

“If INEC accepts candidates from parties where credible primaries were not held, it would seriously undermine the commission’s credibility,” he said.
While commending the chairman’s efforts to promote trust, Itodo urged stakeholders to remain vigilant, linking low voter turnout to poor election management.
According to him, when electoral actors mishandle the process, citizens become discouraged from participating in democracy.