Dr. Queen Elizabeth Agwu, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Anambra State, has categorically denied any involvement of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in election rigging within Nigeria.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum and awareness session on Mandate Protection held in Awka, Dr. Agwu dismissed widespread claims accusing INEC of manipulating election results. She emphasized that the commission neither possesses the intention nor the means to tamper with electoral outcomes.
The event was organized by the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room in partnership with the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), with backing from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), as part of preparations for the upcoming Anambra governorship election scheduled for November 8.
“INEC’s role is relatively limited within the overall electoral process. Security agencies such as the Police, Army, Civil Defence, and FRSC also play significant parts. We deploy returning officers across the state’s 21 local government areas, 326 wards, and numerous polling units, all staffed by temporary workers,” Dr. Agwu explained.
She further pointed out that election rigging is primarily orchestrated by politicians, who often shift blame onto INEC when their plans fail. “On election day, INEC officials remain inside polling stations and only receive the collated result sheets after votes are counted. The financial inducements and manipulations are driven by politicians. When they lose, they accuse INEC of rigging, which undermines our democratic system,” she stated.
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Addressing concerns about the inec-first-week-voter-registration/” title=”ADC Challenges …'s First Week Continuous Voter Registration Report: What You Need to Know”>voter register, Dr. Agwu acknowledged that inaccuracies and the presence of fictitious entries have contributed to low voter turnout in past elections. She urged stakeholders to be alert to attempts at fabricating results, warning, “Any efforts to generate fraudulent figures outside polling stations are pointless, as such numbers will never appear in the official results.”
Adding his insights, Mr. Chibuike Mgbeahurike, an election expert with the CDD, criticized both politicians and voters for undermining electoral integrity. “It’s difficult to recall the last truly credible election in Nigeria. In Anambra, for instance, politicians focus more on attacking each other than presenting service agendas. Meanwhile, some voters openly admit they will only vote if financially motivated, a reflection of politicians’ failure to educate the electorate,” he remarked.
Mr. Mgbeahurike called for intensified voter education, grassroots mobilization, and a stronger commitment to protecting electoral mandates.
The workshop provided a platform for robust discussions on election security, voter identification, fraud prevention, and the importance of transparent election monitoring.
