Amupitan’s Missing Confidence-Building Measures

President Bola Tinubu has publicly defended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Prof. Joash Amupitan, insisting that the commission is impartial.

But presidential assurances alone are unlikely to inspire public confidence ahead of the 2027 general election. INEC must be able to defend its own credibility.

Ahead of previous elections, Attahiru Jega and Mahmood Yakubu made stakeholder engagement a central pillar of election management.

They held regular consultative meetings with political parties, civil society organisations, the media, security agencies, traditional rulers, development partners and election observers. Much of that proactive engagement is now absent.

Those earlier engagements gave INEC opportunities to explain reforms, address concerns, reassure Nigerians of its commitment to neutrality, and reinforce public trust.

The current leadership faces a different communication challenge. More frequent and visible stakeholder engagement, combined with greater transparency and regular public communication, could go a long way toward strengthening confidence in the electoral process before Nigerians head to the polls in 2027.