In Nigeria, the establishment and constitution of electoral management bodies (EMBs) are primarily governed by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2022. The key electoral management bodies involved in organizing and conducting elections in Nigeria include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the federal level and State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) at the state level. These electoral management bodies are aimed at ensuring free, fair, and credible elections at the federal, state, and local government levels in Nigeria.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC):
Establishment: INEC is established by Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended). The constitution empowers the National Assembly to establish such bodies as it may deem necessary for ensuring the conduct of elections.
Composition: INEC is composed of a Chairman, who shall be the Chief Electoral Commissioner and twelve Commissioners to be known as National Electoral Commissioners, each representing a geopolitical zone of the country (Item F, Paragraph 14, Part 1 of the Third Schedule of the 1999 Constitution).
Appointment: The Chairman and Commissioners are appointed by the President, subject to confirmation by the Senate (Section 154(1) of the 1999 Constitution).
Functions: The functions of INEC, as outlined in Paragraph 15 of the Third Schedule of the Constitution, include organizing, undertaking, and supervising elections to the offices of the President and Vice President, National Assembly, and the Governor and Deputy Governor of a state, amongst others. Section 2 of the Electoral Act 2022 prescribes 3 other functions – power to conduct voter and civic education, promote knowledge of sound democratic election processes and power to conduct any referendum required to be conducted under the provisions of the Constitution or an Act of the National Assembly.
Removal: Members of INEC can only be removed by the President, supported by a two-thirds majority of the Senate, upon determination that the member is unable to perform their duties due to health issues or misconduct (Section 157(1) of the 1999 Constitution).
Tenure: Section 155(1)(c) of the CFRN 1999 provides that members of INEC shall hold office for five years from the date of their appointment.
PRESENT INEC NATIONAL AND RESIDENTIAL ELECTORAL COMMISSIONERS
CHAIRMAN – PROF. MAHMOOD YAKUBU
LIST OF CURRENT INEC NATIONAL COMMISSIONERS
- Sam. Olugbadebo Olumekun
- Rhoda Gumus
- Major General A. B Alkali (retd)
- Ukeagu Kenneth Nnamdi
- Mohammed Kudu Haruna
- May Agbamuche-Mbu
- Baba Bila
- Abdullahi Abdu Zuru
- Sani Muhammad Adam SAN
- Muhammad Sani Kallah
- Kunle Cornelius Ajayi
LIST OF RESIDENT ELECTORAL COMMISSIONERS IN NIGERIA
- ABIA STATE – PROF – UZOCHUKWU I. CHIJIOKE
- ADAMAWA STATE – BARR. NUHU YUNUSA
- AKWA IBOM STATE – MR. ETEKAMBA UMOREN
- ANAMBRA STATE – MRS. QUEEN ELIZABETH AGU
- BAUCHI STATE – MOHAMMED BULAMA NURA
- BAYELSA STATE – OBO O. EFFANGA
- BENUE STATE – PROF. SAMUEL G. EGWU
- BORNO STATE – ABUBAKAR MA’AJI AHMED
- CROSS RIVER STATE – YOMERE GABRIEL ORITSEMOLEBI
- DELTA STATE – REV MONDAY UDOH TOM.
- EBONYI STATE – ONYEKA PAULINE UGOCHI
- EDO STATE – MR. ISAH SHAKA EHIMEAKE
- EKITI STATE – MR. BAMIDELE AGBEDE
- ENUGU STATE – DR. CHUKWUEMEKA J. CHUKWU
- FCT STATE – DR. ISAH MAHMUDA
- GOMBE STATE – MR. JANI ADAMU BELLO
- IMO STATE – PROF. SYLVIA UCHENNA AGU
- JIGAWA STATE – PROF. MUHAMMAD L. BASHAR
- KADUNA STATE – MAL. AMINU IDRIS
- KANO STATE – AMB. ABDU ABDUSSAMADU ZANGO
- KATSINA STATE – PROF. YAHAYA MAKARFI IBRAHIM
- KEBBI STATE – ABUBAKAR DAMBO SARKIN PAWA
- KOGI STATE – DR. HALE GABRIEL LONGPET
- KWARA STATE – DR. TAIYE ILAYASU
- LAGOS STATE – DR. BUNMI OMOSEYINDEMI
- NASARAWA STATE – ALHAJI YAHAYA BELLO
- NIGER STATE – PROF. MOHAMMED YALWA
- OGUN STATE – OLANIYI OLALEYE BABALOLA IJALAYE
- ONDO STATE – MRS OLUWATOYIN O. BABALOLA
- OSUN STATE – DR. AGBOKE MUTIU OLALEKE
- OYO STATE – DR ADENIRAN RAHMON TELLA
- PLATEAU STATE – DR. AGUNDU OLIVER TERSOO
- RIVERS STATE- DR. ANUGBUM ONUOHA
- SOKOTO STATE – DR. NURA ALI
- TARABA STATE – ALH. UMAR MUKHTAR GAJIRAM
- YOBE STATE – IBRAHIM ABDULLAHI
- ZAMFARA STATE – MR. ABUBAKAR FAWA DAMBO