Nigeria risks sliding into electoral authoritarianism–INEC REC

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Benue State, Professor Sam Egwu, has warned that Nigeria risks sliding into “electoral authoritarianism” if urgent measures are not taken to protect the integrity of its elections. Speaking at a conference organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) with the theme “Sustaining Democratic Growth,” Egwu […]

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Benue State, Professor Sam Egwu, has warned that Nigeria risks sliding into “electoral authoritarianism” if urgent measures are not taken to protect the integrity of its elections.

Speaking at a conference organised by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) with the theme “Sustaining Democratic Growth,” Egwu said that although Nigeria has conducted seven successive general elections and achieved peaceful transitions of power, its democracy remains fragile.

“At the same time that we are celebrating these achievements, there are still concerns about the overall integrity of our electoral process,” he said. “If we don’t put the necessary guardrails around our democracy, there is a possibility of collapse into electoral authoritarianism.”

Egwu stressed that Nigeria must move beyond the “ritual of elections every four years” to ensure democracy delivers real governance outcomes. He lamented that despite over two decades of civilian rule, poverty and insecurity have deepened.

The INEC official also questioned the suitability of Nigeria’s liberal democratic model, saying it does not reflect the country’s social realities. “We need democracy, but we must interrogate the kind we practise so that it truly reflects our values and conditions,” he said.

He criticised the over-centralisation of power at the federal level, arguing that it undermines true federalism. “It is terrible that you have a federal system on paper but one that operates as a unitary system. People at the federal executive control virtually everything, including elections,” Egwu said.

Egwu further criticised the “closure of policy space” in governance, saying major economic decisions are taken without public debate.

 

Also speaking, a former presidential candidate, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, warned that Nigerians are losing faith in democracy due to worsening economic conditions and an electoral process perceived as lacking credibility. He said citizens cannot be expected to defend a system that fails to meet their basic needs.