INEC Can’t Rig Without Nigerians’ Help – Aisha Yesufu

Prominent socio-political activist, Aisha Yesufu, has called on Nigerians to unite and resist any attempts to rig the 2027 general elections, warning that electoral fraud only succeeds when citizens look the other way.

In a statement posted on her official X handle, Yesufu insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) alone could not manipulate elections without the collaboration of Nigerians.

“No rigging can happen without our support,” she wrote. “It is Nigerians who have refused to engage, waiting for God to do it all.”

The activist maintained that the problem of electoral malpractice in Nigeria does not lie with INEC as an institution, but with individuals within it who compromise their duties for personal gain.

“INEC is not the problem. The people in INEC are the problem, and they are among the 220 million people,” she said.

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“There is no INEC Chairman that can rig elections if the people working in INEC do not collude.”

Yesufu urged Nigerians to hold those around them accountable, stressing that electoral integrity begins at the individual level.

“These people are our brothers, sisters, husbands, wives, children, cousins, neighbours, church members, fellow mosque worshippers, and colleagues. Let us begin to warn each other not to rig or allow rigging,” she added.

‘Institutions not the problem, bad actors are’

Yesufu further argued that Nigeria’s core institutions, the judiciary, police, and military, are not inherently corrupt, but are undermined by the misconduct of individuals operating within them.

“The judiciary is not the problem; the people in the judiciary are the problem. The police are not the problem; the people in the police are the problem. The military is not the problem; the people in the military are the problem,” she stated.

She emphasised that true reform must come from personal accountability and civic responsibility, rather than waiting for institutional change.

Yesufu also urged Nigerians to take an active role in the electoral process by voting, defending their votes, and ensuring transparency at polling units.

“Unless you vote and defend your vote and ensure it is counted for your candidate, what you did is not voting but paper painting,” she declared.

Her message comes amid growing national conversations about electoral reform, voter apathy, and public distrust in the electoral process ahead of the next general elections.