Questioning who conducts elections in Nigeria seems unnecessary and repetitive. It is widely understood in Nigeria that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) organises elections.
Suppose this is true, and the constitution and laws assign that authority and responsibility to the Commission, why raise an alternative question about whether it is the Commission that conducts elections?
While the Commission is constitutionally and legally authorised to organise, oversee, and supervise elections, it operates within the Nigerian context, relying on a diverse group of individuals from different backgrounds, loyalties, and allegiances.In this scenario, the constitution and laws empower the Commission to carry out these duties.
However, practically, it is the Nigerian people who actually conduct elections. In other words, the Commission plays a significant role, primarily in receiving and tallying the results as declared by Nigerians, mainly during presidential elections.
The Third Schedule to the Constitution states that the Commission shall have the authority to organise, undertake, and supervise all elections for the offices of the President and Vice-President, the Governor and Deputy Governor of a State, as well as the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the House of Assembly of each State within the Federation; to register political parties in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and an Act of the National Assembly; to monitor the organisation and operation of political parties, including their finances, conventions, congresses, and party primaries; to arrange for the annual examination and audit of the funds and accounts of political parties, and to publish a report on such examination and audit for public information; to oversee the registration of persons eligible to vote and to maintain, revise, and update the register of voters for any election under the Constitution; to supervise political campaigns and establish rules and regulations that govern political parties; to ensure that all Electoral Commissioners, Electoral and Returning Officers take and subscribe to the oath of office prescribed by law; and to delegate any of its powers to any Resident Electoral Commissioner.
The Commission carries out these functions and fulfils its responsibilities through its officers. At the national level, the policy body of the Commission consists of the Chairman (who is the Chief Electoral Officer of the Federation) and 12 National Commissioners.
Directors, Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, and other support staff operate at the Commission’s National Headquarters. It is headed by a Secretary who manages the Commission’s bureaucracy and administrative Secretariat. The Commission has 14 Departments and nine Directorates at its headquarters. Resident Electoral Commissioners are stationed in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Each state and FCT office has an Administrative Secretary who is the head of administration and assists the RECs with the daily management of the state offices. The Administrative Secretaries are mostly substantive Directors, except when serving in an acting capacity. Each state office comprises seven departments and two units, all led by Heads of Department, usually Deputy Directors.
Electoral Officers operate in the 774 Local Government and Area Councils nationwide. Each Local Government Area (LGA) office is led by an Electoral Officer (EO) and supported by three Assistant Electoral Officers (AEOs) and additional staff.
The AEOs supervise Operations, Administration, and Clusters of RAC (Registration Area Officers and other support personnel). Overall, the Commission employs fewer than 15,000 permanent staff across headquarters, states, and local governments. The demographics involved in conducting elections in Nigeria are complex and require a deep understanding.
The initial planning and policy direction originate from the National Headquarters, then move to the states, and finally to the local governments. Technically, elections are not conducted at these levels; instead, they take place at the polling units, of which there are 176,846
across the country, with a total registered voter population of 93,469,008. (2023 general election estimate). There are 8,809 registration areas nationwide. The process involves importing ballot papers from printing facilities outside the country or from a state and transporting them to the Central Bank in various states by air and road.
A few days before the election, the ballot papers and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System leave the Central Bank and state offices for the local government offices of the Commission under armed escort. They are stored in these offices and subsequently distributed to the Registration Area Centres before they are sent out to the polling units. Designated individuals play crucial roles within these clusters.
These include Presiding Officers (POs), Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs), Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs), Registration Area Technical Support (RATECH) personnel, and Registration Area Centre (RAC) Managers. At the conclusion of elections, Collation and Returning Officers take over control of the process at the Registration Areas, federal and state constituencies, local governments, senatorial districts, and the states.
The Commission recruits its Supervisory Presiding Officers from the Federal Civil Service at grades 10-14 and some INEC staff, including Registration Area Officers, who are not assigned specific election duties.
The Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers are chosen from current members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), students in their penultimate year at Federal tertiary institutions, employees from the Federal Civil Service with at least an OND at Grade levels 07-10, and former NYSC members from 2017 (discharged no later than 2017).
The Registration Area Centre Managers are selected from the staff of the school or institution hosting the RAC. The Registration Area Technical Support Staff (RATECHs) include Commission staff not involved in specific election duties, serving and former NYSC members, and students of Federal tertiary institutions with IT expertise. The Collation and Returning Officers are academic staff of Federal tertiary institutions.
For the 2023 general election, the total number of Polling Unit Officials required for the exercise, including Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers I and II was 1,131,814. As noted, these individuals are members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), students in their penultimate year at federal tertiary institutions, employees from the Federal Civil Service with at least an OND at Grade levels 07-10, and former NYSC members from 2017 (discharged no later than 2017).
The counting, collation, and declaration of results took place for the 470 constituencies on February 25, 2023 at 176,606 Polling Units (PUs), 8,809 Registration Areas (Wards), 36 State and FCT Collation Centres (for the Presidential Election), 109 Senatorial District Collation Centres, 360 Federal Constituencies, and at the National Collation Centre in Abuja. The Collation and Returning Officers are academic staff of Federal tertiary institutions.
These officers at the 8,809 Registration Area Collation Centres submitted the results for the 470 constituencies on February 25, 2023, along with results from the 109 Senatorial District Collation Centres and 360 Federal Constituencies.
They collated the governorship results at the state level, submitted the results, and collated the presidential election results at the state level before presenting them at the National Collation Centre. From the Polling Units, over 1,131,814 adhoc staff who serve as Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers, conducting elections in 176,846 Polling Units, are not staff of the Commission but are members of the Corps and students of Federal tertiary institutions.
The 8,809 Collation Officers at the registration areas are academic staff of Federal tertiary institutions. Those who collate results and make returns in the 470 constituencies, 108 senatorial districts, and 360 federal constituencies are also academic staff of federal tertiary institutions, not staff of the Commission.
Similarly, those who collate results for governorship elections and make returns in the 36 states of the federation are academic staff of federal tertiary institutions. Presidential election results are entered into Form EC8A at the Polling Units by Corps members.
These results are then taken to the 8,809 Collation Centres and collated by academic staff of Federal tertiary institutions. Subsequently, they are taken to the 774 local governments and area councils for collation by academic staff of Federal tertiary institutions.
The results are then brought to the 36 states and the FCT, Abuja, and collated by academic staff of federal tertiary institutions. By the time the results reach the National Collation Centre, where the Chairman acts as the Returning Officer for the presidential election, all political parties have already received and are aware of the results.
It is self-evident that Nigerians conduct executive and legislative elections, and to restore trust in INEC, we must also regain trust in ourselves and imbibe the democratic spirit.
Suppose this is true, and the constitution and laws assign that authority and responsibility to the Commission, why raise an alternative question about whether it is the Commission that conducts elections?
While the Commission is constitutionally and legally authorised to organise, oversee, and supervise elections, it operates within the Nigerian context, relying on a diverse group of individuals from different backgrounds, loyalties, and allegiances.In this scenario, the constitution and laws empower the Commission to carry out these duties.
However, practically, it is the Nigerian people who actually conduct elections. In other words, the Commission plays a significant role, primarily in receiving and tallying the results as declared by Nigerians, mainly during presidential elections.
The Third Schedule to the Constitution states that the Commission shall have the authority to organise, undertake, and supervise all elections for the offices of the President and Vice-President, the Governor and Deputy Governor of a State, as well as the membership of the Senate, the House of Representatives, and the House of Assembly of each State within the Federation; to register political parties in accordance with the provisions of the Constitution and an Act of the National Assembly; to monitor the organisation and operation of political parties, including their finances, conventions, congresses, and party primaries; to arrange for the annual examination and audit of the funds and accounts of political parties, and to publish a report on such examination and audit for public information; to oversee the registration of persons eligible to vote and to maintain, revise, and update the register of voters for any election under the Constitution; to supervise political campaigns and establish rules and regulations that govern political parties; to ensure that all Electoral Commissioners, Electoral and Returning Officers take and subscribe to the oath of office prescribed by law; and to delegate any of its powers to any Resident Electoral Commissioner.
The Commission carries out these functions and fulfils its responsibilities through its officers. At the national level, the policy body of the Commission consists of the Chairman (who is the Chief Electoral Officer of the Federation) and 12 National Commissioners.
Directors, Deputy Directors, Assistant Directors, and other support staff operate at the Commission’s National Headquarters. It is headed by a Secretary who manages the Commission’s bureaucracy and administrative Secretariat. The Commission has 14 Departments and nine Directorates at its headquarters. Resident Electoral Commissioners are stationed in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Each state and FCT office has an Administrative Secretary who is the head of administration and assists the RECs with the daily management of the state offices. The Administrative Secretaries are mostly substantive Directors, except when serving in an acting capacity. Each state office comprises seven departments and two units, all led by Heads of Department, usually Deputy Directors.
Electoral Officers operate in the 774 Local Government and Area Councils nationwide. Each Local Government Area (LGA) office is led by an Electoral Officer (EO) and supported by three Assistant Electoral Officers (AEOs) and additional staff.
The AEOs supervise Operations, Administration, and Clusters of RAC (Registration Area Officers and other support personnel). Overall, the Commission employs fewer than 15,000 permanent staff across headquarters, states, and local governments. The demographics involved in conducting elections in Nigeria are complex and require a deep understanding.
The initial planning and policy direction originate from the National Headquarters, then move to the states, and finally to the local governments. Technically, elections are not conducted at these levels; instead, they take place at the polling units, of which there are 176,846
across the country, with a total registered voter population of 93,469,008. (2023 general election estimate). There are 8,809 registration areas nationwide. The process involves importing ballot papers from printing facilities outside the country or from a state and transporting them to the Central Bank in various states by air and road.
A few days before the election, the ballot papers and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System leave the Central Bank and state offices for the local government offices of the Commission under armed escort. They are stored in these offices and subsequently distributed to the Registration Area Centres before they are sent out to the polling units. Designated individuals play crucial roles within these clusters.
These include Presiding Officers (POs), Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs), Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs), Registration Area Technical Support (RATECH) personnel, and Registration Area Centre (RAC) Managers. At the conclusion of elections, Collation and Returning Officers take over control of the process at the Registration Areas, federal and state constituencies, local governments, senatorial districts, and the states.
The Commission recruits its Supervisory Presiding Officers from the Federal Civil Service at grades 10-14 and some INEC staff, including Registration Area Officers, who are not assigned specific election duties.
The Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers are chosen from current members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), students in their penultimate year at Federal tertiary institutions, employees from the Federal Civil Service with at least an OND at Grade levels 07-10, and former NYSC members from 2017 (discharged no later than 2017).
The Registration Area Centre Managers are selected from the staff of the school or institution hosting the RAC. The Registration Area Technical Support Staff (RATECHs) include Commission staff not involved in specific election duties, serving and former NYSC members, and students of Federal tertiary institutions with IT expertise. The Collation and Returning Officers are academic staff of Federal tertiary institutions.
For the 2023 general election, the total number of Polling Unit Officials required for the exercise, including Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers I and II was 1,131,814. As noted, these individuals are members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), students in their penultimate year at federal tertiary institutions, employees from the Federal Civil Service with at least an OND at Grade levels 07-10, and former NYSC members from 2017 (discharged no later than 2017).
The counting, collation, and declaration of results took place for the 470 constituencies on February 25, 2023 at 176,606 Polling Units (PUs), 8,809 Registration Areas (Wards), 36 State and FCT Collation Centres (for the Presidential Election), 109 Senatorial District Collation Centres, 360 Federal Constituencies, and at the National Collation Centre in Abuja. The Collation and Returning Officers are academic staff of Federal tertiary institutions.
These officers at the 8,809 Registration Area Collation Centres submitted the results for the 470 constituencies on February 25, 2023, along with results from the 109 Senatorial District Collation Centres and 360 Federal Constituencies.
They collated the governorship results at the state level, submitted the results, and collated the presidential election results at the state level before presenting them at the National Collation Centre. From the Polling Units, over 1,131,814 adhoc staff who serve as Presiding Officers and Assistant Presiding Officers, conducting elections in 176,846 Polling Units, are not staff of the Commission but are members of the Corps and students of Federal tertiary institutions.
The 8,809 Collation Officers at the registration areas are academic staff of Federal tertiary institutions. Those who collate results and make returns in the 470 constituencies, 108 senatorial districts, and 360 federal constituencies are also academic staff of federal tertiary institutions, not staff of the Commission.
Similarly, those who collate results for governorship elections and make returns in the 36 states of the federation are academic staff of federal tertiary institutions. Presidential election results are entered into Form EC8A at the Polling Units by Corps members.
These results are then taken to the 8,809 Collation Centres and collated by academic staff of Federal tertiary institutions. Subsequently, they are taken to the 774 local governments and area councils for collation by academic staff of Federal tertiary institutions.
The results are then brought to the 36 states and the FCT, Abuja, and collated by academic staff of federal tertiary institutions. By the time the results reach the National Collation Centre, where the Chairman acts as the Returning Officer for the presidential election, all political parties have already received and are aware of the results.
It is self-evident that Nigerians conduct executive and legislative elections, and to restore trust in INEC, we must also regain trust in ourselves and imbibe the democratic spirit.
