INEC Battles Vote Buying, Hate Speech, and Disinformation Challenges

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is contending with numerous issues, including vote buying, hate speech, fake news, disinformation, and misinformation, according to Rotimi Oyekunmi, spokesman to the Commission’s Chairman. Reflecting on elections since Nigeria's return to democracy in 1999, Oyekunmi highlighted the problematic behavior of political parties in selecting candidates, which has often led to electoral disputes and nullified outcomes.

Oyekunmi emphasized the need for an electoral offences tribunal to investigate and prosecute electoral offenders, pointing out that several 2015 election outcomes were nullified due to candidate disqualification. He urged political parties to follow their constitutions and promote internal democracy during primaries to avoid such issues. He also noted the large number of court cases INEC faces, with over 454 pre-election cases and 680 tribunal cases stemming from the 2015 elections alone.

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From 2019 to 2022, INEC facilities and personnel suffered 50 attacks across 15 states, with 20 incidents involving unknown gunmen. While INEC can prosecute offenders under the Electoral Act 2022, it lacks the power to investigate or make arrests. Oyekunmi called for the arrest and prosecution of those behind electoral violence to enhance the effectiveness of law enforcement efforts and allow INEC to focus on its core electoral mandate.

Despite these challenges, INEC has made significant improvements, such as introducing technologies like BIVAS and IREV to enhance election integrity. The commission also increased the number of polling units from 119,974 to 176,846, making voting more accessible and less stressful. Additionally, INEC introduced the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) system with an online registration portal, addressing stakeholders' calls for reduced overcrowding at CVR centers and better service for Nigerians.