The Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Sam Amadi, has warned that the declining public confidence in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could plunge Nigeria into electoral violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Amadi raised the concern on Friday during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, stressing that credible elections would be difficult to achieve if the electoral umpire no longer enjoys the trust of Nigerians.
He noted that following the controversies surrounding the 2023 general elections, Nigerians expected the INEC Chairman to prioritise rebuilding public confidence in the electoral process.
However, he argued that the commission’s activities over the past six months appeared to have further weakened its credibility.
“Nigeria is sitting on a time bomb. This is dangerous for Nigeria because when citizens lose faith in the electoral process, they may resort to self-help, with potentially violent consequences,” Amadi said.
The former Chairman of the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) warned that the situation goes beyond determining who emerges victorious in the 2027 elections, noting that millions of Nigerians could lose faith in the electoral process and doubt whether their votes would count.
According to him, when citizens no longer believe in the power of the ballot, they may resort to alternative means of defending their votes, potentially triggering violence.
Amadi urged INEC to urgently restore public confidence through greater transparency, accountability and consistency in its operations.
He specifically identified voter registration, electronic transmission of election results and the handling of electoral complaints as critical areas requiring improved transparency.
The political analyst further warned that if INEC approaches the 2027 general elections with its current credibility challenges, increased security deployment may not be sufficient to contain public anger and possible unrest.
He stressed the need for the commission to take immediate steps to rebuild trust in the electoral process to prevent a breakdown of public confidence and safeguard Nigeria’s democratic stability.
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