INEC's FCT Election Management Criticized by Odinkalu

Chidi Odinkalu, the former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, criticized the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) under Joash Amupitan for its management of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) elections. He described INEC's performance as a "woeful failure," arguing that the shortcomings were not due to legal constraints but rather poor electoral administration.

Odinkalu pointed out several issues, including inadequate voter education, poor management of electoral rules, and violence during the elections. He noted that the lack of trust in INEC's ability to conduct credible elections could lead to significant challenges in the upcoming 2027 elections.

Odinkalu emphasized that the electoral logistics were poorly handled, with problems such as the reassignment of personnel to different polling units shortly before the elections. He warned that these failures paint a "gloomy picture" for Nigeria's electoral administration and called for urgent improvements to restore public confidence.