Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr Charles Mekwunye, has raised concerns over what he described as the increasing politicisation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), warning that the credibility of the 2027 general elections may already be under threat.

Mekwunye spoke during the 2026 Law Week of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Agbor Branch, themed “Future Proofing Nigeria’s Democracy: Credible Elections and the Legal Cross-Roads.”

In his keynote address, the senior lawyer said that although the Constitution clearly outlines the responsibilities and qualifications for appointments into INEC, the electoral body had consistently failed to conduct elections that Nigerians could regard as free and fair.

“Most Nigerians will agree that INEC has consistently failed to live up to national expectations. Elections conducted by INEC are neither free nor fair,” he asserted.

According to him, many officials within the electoral commission are either overwhelmed by political pressure or compromised by politicians who allegedly influence appointments into the commission.

He lamented that a former aide to Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who has had longstanding political ties with the All Progressives Congress (APC) was appointed an INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC).

According to the SAN, the fellow previously served as Special Assistant to Akpabio during his tenure as Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Chief of Staff when Akpabio was Governor of Akwa Ibom State, and later Secretary to the State Government.

Mekwunye described it as an example of partisan infiltration of the electoral body, arguing that he should have been disqualified from serving as an REC.

He stated that such an appointment became a subject of litigation, and the witness admitted working closely with Akpabio for several years in different political and governmental capacities.

The SAN said despite what he described as “clear admissions of political association,” the Federal High Court dismissed the suit challenging the appointment.

He explained that an appeal had since been filed at the Court of Appeal, but lamented that the matter had not been assigned a hearing date despite repeated letters requesting an accelerated hearing before the next election cycle.

“Not giving us a date to challenge this alleged violation of the Constitution amounts to tacit support for politicians and a grave disservice to the national interest,” he said.

Mekwunye questioned how the courts could justify the appointment of an individual widely perceived as politically aligned with a supposedly neutral electoral institution.

The senior lawyer warned that unless the issue of partisan appointments into INEC was addressed, Nigerians should not expect credible elections in 2027.

“There is no hope that INEC, as presently constituted, will conduct free and fair elections in 2027,” he stated.

He urged authorities to strictly comply with constitutional provisions guiding appointments to the electoral commission to restore public confidence in the nation’s electoral process.