WILBERFORCE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIAL SCIENCES (WJSS)
ISSN: 2504 – 9232
Volume 10, No. 2, November 2025
Pages 13-40
DOI: 10.36108/wjss/5202.01.0220
THE INDEPENDENT NATIONAL ELECTORAL COMMISSION (INEC) AND ELECTORAL CREDIBILITY IN NIGERIA: A CASE STUDY OF 2023 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION IN RIVERS STATE, NIGERIA
Andrew Ikponmwosa Amadasu & Omonuwa Ivie Esther
Department of Political Science, University of Benin, Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria
Abstract
Electoral integrity and credibility is vital to electoral management, this study investigated the conduct of the 2023 presidential election in Rivers State and in other to ascertain the credibility of the election. INEC has been on the eye of the storm given its notoriety in electoral malfeasances, as a result of its conduct of 2023 presidential election in Rivers State. The outcome of the election has been generating mixed reactions among party faithful, candidates and observers. While one side of the debate argued that INEC compromised the election in the State, the other party argued that INEC conducted free and fair election. The study adopted the theory of structural functionalism that argued that institutions are the bedrock of democracy and when they malfunction, the system suffers. The study utilized questionnaire to elicit responses form 392 respondents drawn from Oyigbo LGA, Rivers State. The study found that INEC compromised the election in various ways and recommended that INEC should be unbundled into different interrelated parts to allow for accountability and credibility of the institution, appointment of Chairman should be the responsibility of a separate independent body, creation of a separate court that will be responsible for trying election cases and offenders.