The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Professor Joash Amupitan, the newly nominated chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to make the prosecution of electoral offenders a top priority once he assumes office.
The rights organisation, in a statement issued on Sunday and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, urged Amupitan to demonstrate zero tolerance for impunity in Nigeria’s electoral process and ensure that politicians and their sponsors responsible for electoral crimes face justice.
President Bola Tinubu had last week nominated Amupitan to succeed Prof. Mahmood Yakubu as INEC chairman. If confirmed by the Senate, Amupitan will oversee the conduct of the 2027 general elections.
In its letter dated October 11, 2025, SERAP stated that “impunity for past electoral offences remains a major obstacle to credible elections in Nigeria,” adding that Amupitan must show that INEC under his leadership “would not tolerate electoral offences or compromise the integrity of the nation’s elections.”
The organisation urged him to prioritise amendments to the Electoral Act 2022, particularly provisions that would guarantee the timely prosecution of electoral offences and improve voters’ access to justice.
“Unless the legacy of impunity for grave electoral offences is addressed and perpetrators, especially high-ranking politicians and their sponsors, are prosecuted, electoral crimes will persist,” the letter read.
SERAP further lamented that elections held since 2015 have been marred by “violence, bribery, vote-buying, conspiracy, and undue influence,” which have eroded public confidence in INEC.
According to the group, the persistent failure of the electoral body to ensure justice for electoral crimes “makes a mockery of Nigeria’s democracy and undermines public trust in the electoral process.”
The organisation also reminded the INEC nominee of the constitutional and international obligations Nigeria has committed to in ensuring democratic participation and fair elections.
“The Nigerian Constitution guarantees citizens’ right to participate in government, while the Electoral Act and international treaties such as the African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance prohibit electoral offences and guarantee the right to vote,” the statement added.
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SERAP urged Amupitan to act swiftly upon confirmation to reform the electoral system, warning that failure to do so could compel the organisation to take legal action in the public interest.
“The effective prosecution of electoral offences will enhance voters’ trust, uphold the rule of law, and strengthen democracy,” SERAP maintained.
The group also emphasised that credible elections are vital to the protection of human rights, calling on the incoming INEC leadership to ensure transparency, accountability, and fairness in all electoral processes leading to the 2027 polls.