INEC Can’t Be Independent If President Still Appoints Its Leadership — Cardinal Onaiyekan

Archbishop Emeritus of the Catholic Archdiocese of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has questioned the independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), arguing that the electoral body cannot be regarded as truly independent while its leadership is appointed by the president.

The senior Catholic cleric made the remarks during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time, where he discussed the state of the nation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Onaiyekan’s comments came in response to President Bola Tinubu’s recent assertion that INEC operates as an independent institution.

Tinubu made the claim during a meeting with members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, where he maintained that the electoral commission remained neutral in the discharge of its constitutional responsibilities.

However, the cardinal disagreed with the president’s position, insisting that the current method of appointing INEC’s leadership undermines the commission’s independence.

“How can INEC be independent while the president appoints its leadership?” Onaiyekan asked.

He argued that mere declarations of independence were insufficient if the political structure governing the commission remained unchanged.

“The president said that INEC is independent, but words are not enough. The Nigerian political system, the way it is now constructed, precisely is leading to a situation where INEC cannot be independent,” he said.

According to the cleric, the appointment of the INEC chairman, national commissioners and resident electoral commissioners by the president creates doubts about the commission’s impartiality.

He acknowledged that it is generally assumed that any president would appoint competent and unbiased individuals, but maintained that reality often differs from that expectation.

“The chairman, all the members, and all the commissioners have been appointed by the President.

“The presumption is that Mr President will appoint independent, impartial, wonderful people. But on the ground, we see that standard politicians and members of his party are appointed,” he added.

Onaiyekan’s remarks add to the growing debate over electoral reforms in Nigeria, with several political stakeholders and civil society organisations advocating changes to the process of appointing INEC officials to strengthen public confidence in the electoral system ahead of the 2027 elections.