Our Reporter, Abuja
Former Minister of Education and good governance advocate, Oby Ezekwesili, on Wednesday praised former Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mike Igini, describing him as a man of integrity who should have led Nigeria’s electoral body.
In a post on X, Ezekwesili said that amid what she described as the “rot that aches the heart of those who genuinely care about Nigeria,” she chose to celebrate Igini for his character and professional conduct during his years at the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Igini, who joined Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in 2010 as a Resident Electoral Commissioner, was part of the commission’s reform efforts and became known, according to Ezekwesili, for resisting political pressure and inducements during elections.
She recounted stories of political actors allegedly attempting to influence his decisions, noting that he reportedly insisted his duty was to “count votes, not money.”
Ezekwesili said she watched Igini’s recent appearances on Channels Television with Seun Okinbaloye and on Arise TV, where he strongly advocated for a legal provision mandating real-time electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV).
According to her, Igini made “the strongest case yet” for a clause that would make the electronic transmission of results into IREV compulsory, arguing that such a move would enhance transparency and restore public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.
She further contended that if democracy and good governance truly mattered to political leaders, Igini “would have long led” INEC and rebuilt citizens’ confidence in the commission following what she described as the “catastrophic” 2023 general elections.
Ezekwesili questioned why members of the National Assembly were, in her view, opposed to greater transparency in elections, suggesting that lawmakers were uncomfortable with individuals of “character, competence and capacity” assuming leadership of governance institutions.
She accused Nigerian politicians of prioritising self-interest over national progress but maintained that citizens must not lose hope in the country’s future.
“We must never lose hope that Nigeria will surely become,” she wrote, expressing gratitude for public officials like Igini and asserting that “there are still many good ones among us.”
