Former resident electoral commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mike Igini, says he regrets spending 10 years with the electoral body.
During an appearance on Arise News, Igini spoke about the persistent opposition to credible elections in Nigeria and the dangers tied to pursuing electoral reforms. He referenced the tragic killing of his colleague in Kano for attempting to “do the right thing.”
“I spent over 30 years of my life, including 10 practical years in INEC, working to remove the history of our elections from the realm of frustration and pain, so we can give meaning and purpose to the ballot as the best means of expressing the will of the people in a democracy,” Igini said.
“To now find out that all that we did was in vain, that’s why I regret that I wasted my 10 years in service of the fatherland because I’d have been a dead man by now.
“However, I would have been a dead man pursuing this cause; my colleague in Kano was killed because we wanted to do the right thing for Nigeria. His entire family wiped out.”
Igini also expressed worries over proposed amendments to the Electoral Act, warning that if signed into law by the president, they could leave presiding officers vulnerable to serious threats at polling units.
He criticised what he described as the “level of hypocrisy” among stakeholders in Nigeria’s electoral process, arguing that systemic obstacles have undermined years of reform efforts.
A long-time advocate for electoral integrity, Igini reiterated the importance of safeguarding democracy and ensuring that the ballot genuinely represents the will of the people.