Lest Tainted RECs Undermine Credibility Of 2023 Election

As the May 29, 2023 handover date draws nearer, many Nigerians have apparently given up on President Muhammadu Buhari finishing strong in anti-corruption, neither do they see him triumphing over insecurity nor bequeathing a healthy economy. These are the three pillars upon which his administration has hinged since coming into the scene. Although Buhari may be forgiven for disowning the numerous promises he and his party men made as they pounded soapboxes across the country in the build-up to the 2015 election, the President owned up to the above three, yet all indices point to the federal government’s parlous performance in those critical areas. It would therefore be expected that the President holds tenaciously to one aspect that offers a silver lining to his eight-year reign. This is talking about the conduct of free, fair and credible elections in 2023. This should be the legacy project of the President. Unfortunately, he is bungling with bad choices made on the eve of his departure from office nepotistic appointments. Nigerians have taken his parochialism in their strides and are already looking forward to the breath of fresh air that will see the back of the current administration, which seems to be the only consolation. Anything that will foul this anticipated fresh air in terms of compromising the process that will birth the President’s successor is cruel and must not be allowed. It is against this backcloth that the President self-serving and unholy nominations of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chiefs on the eve of a critical election like the 2023 polls is one indiscretion too many. In July, the President proposed 19 candidates for the Nigerian Senate to confirm as INEC Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs). After ferreting the list of nominees, no fewer than nine civil society organizations have identified four persons with questionable credentials regarding their ability to be non-partisan