Nigerian Civil Society Demands Open Scrutiny of New Electoral Nominee

Abuja, Nigeria — A leading civil society coalition in Nigeria has called for a transparent and rigorous public screening of the president’s nominee for the next Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), warning that public confidence in the country’s democracy is at a crucial low point.

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, an umbrella group, issued a statement on Friday, 10th October 2025, just after the Council of State approved the nomination. The group insists that the selection process must meet the “highest standards of credibility, transparency, and independence.”

The Call for Public Scrutiny

The Situation Room is urging the Nigerian Senate, which is tasked with confirming the appointment, to open up its process to citizens and civil society organisations, in line with international best practices.

Key demands directed at the Senate include:

• Adopting a screening process that guarantees the nominee’s neutrality and competence.
• Issuing clear guidelines for the public to submit petitions or complaints against the nominee.
• Subjecting the nominee to rigorous public scrutiny before confirmation.

The group emphasised that the leadership of INEC is “pivotal in ensuring the integrity of elections” and must, therefore, “inspire broad-based confidence among Nigerians.”

President Urged to Release Credentials

The Situation Room also called directly on the President to immediately make public the nominee’s credentials and professional record. This step is essential, the group argues, to allow citizens to properly understand the basis for the nomination and make informed contributions to the Senate’s confirmation hearing.

The statement concluded by stressing that Nigeria’s democracy can only “thrive when the institutions responsible for elections command the confidence of all stakeholders.”

The call comes at a time when Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation and largest economy, continues to grapple with challenges in building public trust in its democratic process following recent contested elections.